The Flames of Revolution
by MangoLimePie
Summary: Tadashi Misao is a 16 year old young man living with his mother Grace. They both moved to Kalos from the Hoenn region years after the death of Tadashi's father. After six years of holding him back, destiny came knocking in the form of Professor Sycamore who offered Tadashi a chance to go on his own journey. The Flames of Revolution are rising! It's time to answer the call...
1. Chapter 1

**Aloha and welcome to my first fanfic in the Pokemon section! I'm rather excited about this so I'm just going to dive right in and get started. It took me a while to come up with this idea so I do hope you all enjoy what I'm about to present. Now, without further ado, I present to you, Pokemon: Flames of Revolution! Please read and review, I would greatly appreciate it. After all, constructive criticism helps greatly am I right? Anyway, enjoy the ride!**

**I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters as well as content belong to Gamefreak and Nintendo!**

**Chapter 1: The Passing of the Torch**

The sun rose up over Vanville Town, rousing Fletchlings and Pidgey's to sing their morning songs. Yes, all types of Pokemon were playing around the town. Standing just outside one of the houses was a young man with mid length black hair. He wore a white lab coat and was fair skinned. Dusting himself off he reached up and knocked on the door to the home he was standing in front of.

"Coming!" A voice from within called, prompting the man to wait.

Inside was a woman with long blond curls and penetrating emerald hues. She was standing over a stove cooking breakfast. She was rather tall, and wore a red and white polka dot top with faded blue jeans and red sandals. She was a rather attractive woman to say the least. She was tending to the country fried steak when she heard the door being knocked on a second time.

"I said coming!" She said with a grimace, putting down the spatula after tending to the eggs she was making.

"Some people have no patience..." she muttered to herself as she opened the door.

"May I help you?" the woman asked curiously as she came face to face with the man.

"As a matter of fact, you can. My name is Augustine Sycamore, but most call me Professor Sycamore. A little birdie told me that there was a single mother who moved into town with her son. After hearing that I figured I'd drop by and say hi. I have a proposition for your son, if he's awake that is" Sycamore said with a bright smile.

"Ah, you must mean Tadashi...well he's not awake yet but once he smells his favorite breakfast...he's certain to come running" the woman said with a bright smile.

'Well, at least he has good looks and is polite...that compensates for his impatience' Tadashi's mother thought as she invited him inside.

The scent of breakfast wafted upstairs to Tadashi's room which caused his deep forest green irises to flutter open. Tadashi had dirty blond hair and was lightly tanned like his mother. He was wearing a black T-shirt with a pokeball on the front of it. His pajama bottoms had pictures of Charizard on them. Grumbling, he got out of bed and set foot on the floor. He really didn't like mornings, but when they consisted of his mother's cooking, he couldn't resist getting up.

Tadashi heard voices downstairs and decided to see what was going on.

"Oh really? I think that would be great for Tadashi!" His mother exclaimed, getting a laugh from Sycamore.

At the sound of another male voice in the house, Tadashi frowned and made his way into the kitchen. His eyes met his mother's and then shifted over towards Sycamore.

"You know mom...just because Dad's gone doesn't mean you can go letting strange men into the house...especially when I haven't met them..." Tadashi grimaced.

"Tadashi don't be rude! And even if he is good looking, I didn't invite him here, he invited himself. In anycase, this is Professor Sycamore and he has something he'd like to ask you Tadashi" his mother shot back.

"Thank you Grace" Sycamore stated, using his mother's first name as if they'd known each other for years.

"Well your mother is right. I am a special classification of Professor, I'm a Pokemon Professor" Sycamore said with a smile.

"I'm listening..." Tadashi stated, the word 'Pokemon' catching his attention immediately, causing him to disregard his earlier statements.

"Your mother tells me you love Pokemon but you've never gone on a journey of your own. Well, I'm here to offer you the chance to do so. Think of it Tadashi, you and your very own Pokemon out on a grand adventure. Does that not sound exciting?" Sycamore questioned.

"Hold the phone...are you serious?" Tadashi inquired, making sure he heard the man right.

"Quite so. Your mother seems to like the idea as well, though it took some convincing on my part..." Sycamore said with a slight laugh.

"Mom? What did he do to you?" Tadashi demanded.

"Nothing young man, now are you going to accept his offer or not?" Grace replied with an irritated expression.

Tadashi thought about it for a moment. All his life he'd wanted to go on a journey and see the world of Pokemon. But after his father passed away he was unable to do so. His mother strictly forbid him from going anywhere in an effort to safeguard him. So, what had changed? He wasn't against the change however, he'd always wanted to go on a journey and now there it was, staring him in the face in the form of a skinny man in a lab coat.

"Are you kidding? Of course I'll accept your offer! I've been waiting for this for too stinking long!" Tadashi said excitedly.

"Tres bien! When you're ready we can get you registered and give you a Pokemon of your choosing. We will have to return to the lab to do so but it will be worth the journey" Sycamore said with a bright smile.

"I'll go get ready right now!" Tadashi said as he turned to bolt upstairs. He didn't get but five feet before he was reminded by his stomach of something important. Food.

"Maybe I should eat first..." Tadashi said with a nervous laugh, turning around to see his mother already preparing a plate.

"I knew it was only a matter of time. Your stomach can't resist my cooking" Grace chuckled.

"Professor, would you care to join us?" Grace inquired.

"Certainly, I'd be delighted" Sycamore said with a bright smile, sitting down as he was served a plate.

After a few minutes, Tadashi was upstairs and getting dressed.

"So...I understand you moved here from Hoenn. That must have been quite a journey. Why did you move so far if you don't mind me asking?" Sycamore inquired, getting a moment of silence from Grace.

"We were happy for a time in Hoenn. My husband and I were doing well. I was a coordinator and he taught classes for beginning trainers. Tadashi grew up with an unexplainable love for Pokemon. He would play with all types and had a gift for drawing them to him. Pokemon just seemed to gravitate to him, it was amazing. However...after a tragic incident at the Volcano...his father never returned. He was showing some students around the observitory when it happened" Grace sighed.

"I see...so that's why you came here" Sycamore said as he glanced towards the stairs.

Meanwhile, Tadashi was upstairs and finishing up getting dressed. He sported a black and blue jacket that doubled as a cape. He wore a plain white T-shirt beneath that. He wore faded dark blue jeans and white shoes with blue and black laces. Sunglasses were seated atop his head and an arrowhead necklace hung low from his neck. To complete his look, he wore blue and black fingerless gloves. His hair was now more tamed and a few bangs hung over his left eye.

These were the same clothes his father wore when he was a trainer. His father never grew any taller than 5'9" and that was exactly how tall Tadashi was. His mother had stored the clothes away and told him that when it came time for him to finally set out on his own, he could have them. His mother washed them regularly to preserve them from getting damaged.

It was finally his time to set out and he was excited and at the same time nervous. For many years his mother had forbidden him from traveling. Now she was allowing it which he still couldn't understand. It wasn't until he looked at himself in the mirror that it dawned on him. It was because of his father. This move was an effort to get away from the pain of being in the environment that his father died in. The overprotecting that she did was because she didn't want to lose him. As he thought about it more, he realized that his mother knew that one day he would have to get out and see the world. She couldn't hold him back any longer.

He made his way downstairs and glanced between Sycamore and Grace who started to tear up as soon as she saw him.

"You...look just like him in that...albeit you have my eyes and some features but...still.." she said tearfully.

"Mom..." he said as he glanced over at Sycamore.

"I'll wait for you outside Tadashi" Sycamore said with a soft smile, closing the door as he exited.

"Tadashi, listen to me" Grace started "I know that I can't bring your father back from the Volcano. I know I've held you back for six years when you could have registered with the other kids. I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't want to lose you. But now I realize, I can't change the past. The torch has been passed to you Tadashi. Your father's legacy hasn't died. You...YOU can carry it on and create your own. I want you to promise me that you will do everything in your power to become a master and finish what your father started" Grace stated firmly.

"But mom..." Tadashi began.

"But nothing Tadashi! Now you get out there and do it. I know this is what you were born to do. Your father would have wanted this and now I do too. Please my son...don't just do this for me or your father but for yourself as well" Grace said with a stern expression.

Tadashi didn't know what to say at this point. He was dumbstruck at his mother's words. He looked at the door where the Professor was waiting, where his new life was waiting. He turned to his mother who simply nodded. He wrapped his arms around her who in turn did the same. She kissed him twice on each cheek before releasing her grip.

"I love you Tadashi...nothing will ever change that. Now...go get'em!" She cheered.

"I love you too mom...and don't worry...I will" Tadashi said with a smirk, leaning up to kiss his mother on the cheek in return before turning towards the door to walk out, his jacket billowing behind him.

"Wait a minute Tadashi, don't forget this" Grace stated, holding out a bag that matched his outfit.

"Right, can't forget that" Tadashi laughed, taking the backpack which was already stuffed with goods for the trip.

"Thanks again mom, love ya!" He stated before bolting out the door.

"I love you too..." She said with a happy sigh.

Sycamore glanced towards the door as it opened, revealing a determined looking Tadashi.

"Magnifique!" Sycamore exclaimed, earning a thumbs up from Tadashi.

"The walk to Lumiose City might take a while, so let's get going" Sycamore said with a smile.

"Let's get to it then..." Tadashi said with a bright smile.

The trek to Lumiose took about an hour but they managed to get there before noon which was a good thing. The two walked inside the Pokemon Center in order to register Tadashi and give him his trainer card. After settling that matter, the two made their way over to the lab.

Tadashi's eyes grew wide as he saw the city in all its splendor. Lumiose was gigantic. He'd never been to a city this large. There was activity everywhere he looked and he was only on one side of it. Passerbys were walking with their Pokemon and he was soon to join them after he'd received his own. One thing did bother him however. It was the fact that certain sections of the city were closed off. He figured he'd find out sooner or later what that was all about.

Sycamore and Tadashi soon reached the lab and were inside the first floor.

"There's one thing I forgot to mention...I hope you're not too picky about your Pokemon because we only have one left at the moment. Two other trainers came and got theirs and left shortly after I did to get you" Sycamore explained.

Waving him off, Tadashi simply shook his head.

"It's fine, I'll take what I get" Tadashi said with a chuckle.

"So, where is it?" Tadashi inquired, earning a snicker from Sycamore.

"Right through here" Sycamore stated, pressing a button on the wall to open the double doors they stood in front of.

Inside it was like a tropical paradise for Pokemon. There were shrubs, trees, little watering holes with Pokemon swimming in them. It was like an oasis of some sort. Standing near them was a dark blue Pokemon with a sharklike head. It was a bi-pedal Pokemon with a shark fin on its back and a red underbelly with a yellow diamond pattern beneath as well. It had sharp claws on its wings. It looked incredibly powerful and Tadashi couldn't help but stare at it.

"Ah, I see you've noticed Garchomp. He's our helper around here. He's a dragon/ground type and is quite a strong Pokemon. He's actually the subject for a project we're working on. He has the potential for what's called Mega Evolution" Sycamore said with a grin.

"Mega Evolution?" Tadashi inquired curiously.

"It's the ability for a Pokemon to exceed its final evolution and ascend to greater heights in power. It's an incredible feat and Garchomp here is a candidate for it. Now I know he's strong and all, but he's not the Pokemon you'll be getting" Sycamore assured Tadashi, earning a disappointed sigh from the 16 year old.

"Then who am I getting?" Tadashi questioned, glancing around to see which Pokemon he'd receive.

"She's right over there" Sycamore said with a smirk.

Tadashi turned around and spotted a fox-like creature lying down in the grass. The Pokemon had pale yellow fur with tufts of orange fur sticking out of its ears. It had a white muzzle and a tail with an orange tip.

"That is Fennekin. She's a fire pokemon that we've been researching. I must warn you though, she's not very taken by male trainers. I'm one of the only males she tolerates. Just a word of caution, but if your mother was right about Pokemon being drawn to you...you should be fine" Sycamore said with a chuckle.

Tadashi turned towards the Fennekin and knelt down to admire her.

"Most of the time we get male Pokemon in here with few females in sight. We were incredibly lucky to learn that this Fennekin was female" Sycamore said excitedly.

"So I take it she was a rare find...nice..." Tadashi said, glancing down as Fennekin stirred awake.

Its red hues flickered open and gazed upon Tadashi. Leaping back in surprise, the fox opened its mouth to let loose an ember upon Tadashi who ducked and barely avoided being burned, save for a few strands of hair which he promptly took care of. Fennekin did not like seeing males. The only reason she tolerated Sycamore was because he was nice and fed her. Even then, they had a complicated relationship.

Tadashi looked back at Sycamore who was chuckling a bit at Tadashi's expense.

Looking back at Fennekin, he shook his head and slowly extended his right hand to the irritated looking Pokemon. Fennekin growled a bit and then stopped for a moment to sniff his hand. She blinked in confusion as she did this. Most males she sniffed she didn't like right off the bat. This one's scent was different than most she'd come across. Bewildered, she sat on her hind legs and looked up at Tadashi, completely confused. She tilted her head slightly, not knowing what to make of him. She couldn't make heads or tails of the situation.

"Fen?" She piped up, moving forward to sniff him once more.

"It seems she's trying to figure you out. This is a new development..." Sycamore said with a puzzled expression.

After a minute or two Fennekin walked back to her spot and sat herself down in front of Tadashi.

"Fen!" She said, a smile gracing her features as if to say she approved.

"It seems she likes you. Amazing! Your mother was right, Tres bien!" Sycamore said enthusiastically.

"Looks to be that way..." Tadashi said with a smile. He knelt down and stroked her ears gently, causing Fennekin to nuzzle into his hand.

"Well Fennekin, would you like to become my partner?" Tadashi asked the fire fox.

That word, 'partner.' It echoed in Fennekin's ears like a melody. She'd never been called that before and needless to say she was glad to hear it.

"Fen, Fennekin!" She chirped happily, leaping onto Tadashi's right shoulder, nuzzling his face a little.

"Well, that settles it. Here are your Pokeballs and Pokedex. I trust you already have a Holo Caster?" Sycamore inquired, handing Tadashi his items.

"Yeah, my mother got us both one when we got here" Tadashi explained.

"Good, then I won't need to explain it to you then. Well, you're officially a trainer, your journey awaits you Tadashi. The nearest town is Santalune City. There is a Gym Leader there who will test your skills. Use this to collect the badges from various towns" Sycamore stated, handing him a rectangular box, big enough for eight badges to fit into.

"Thanks Professor" Tadashi stated, placing it inside his backpack. He then attached his pokeballs to his belt, and his pokedex was stashed into his pocket.

"Good luck, stop by here once you've earned your first badge. I want to hear all about the battle" Sycamore said with a bright smile.

"Will do Professor, thanks so much!" Tadashi said as he stepped out of the lab and onto the streets of Lumiose City once more.

The two had passed through Santalune City to get to Lumiose so all he would need to do is head for route 4 and keep going until he hit the city.

"Well Fennekin, it's you and me partner. Let's do this!" Tadashi stated, making a bolt for route four.

As he ran, he glanced around at the many tall buildings and shops that lined the streets of Lumiose. He was so focused on the sights that he didn't notice the young girl that he was about to run into. The two collided and Fennekin flew off of his shoulder, landing on all fours due to some quick maneuvering. Fennekin walked over to her trainer with a concerned look on her features.

"Watch where you're going idiot!" The young girl said as she rubbed her head while sitting up.

"Sorry...I wasn't paying attention, here let me help you" Tadashi stated, standing up to offer his hand to the girl.

The young girl was about his age, standing just an inch under him. She had long chocolate locks that caressed her shoulders. Her eyes were a greyish green color. She was fair-skinned and had a petite figure. She wore a black leather designer coat that stopped at the knee. Her white jean shorts were the same brand as the coat and stopped above the knee. She wore black leather boots that looked quite expensive. She had a white leather purse to go along with her outfit. Diamond earrings dangled from her ears. She was quite an attractive looking girl that was for certain, even if she was glaring daggers at him. She slapped his hand away and stood up.

"Keep your apology, and the next time this happens I'll be sending you to the moon!" The girl said furiously as she walked off angrily towards route four.

"Someone's got their underwear on a little too tight..." Tadashi mumbled getting a snicker out of Fennekin.

"You thought that was funny too?" Tadashi laughed, getting a nod from Fennekin.

The two walked through the station and out the other side. Once again, Tadashi was in a beautiful garden-like setting. He had to admit it, Kalos was a beautiful place.

"Froakie, use your frubble to halt the attack and then move in with pound!" The familiar voice of a young girl stated, prompting Tadashi to turn towards what appeared to be a trainer battle going on.

Tadashi got out his pokedex and aimed it at Froakie to bring up its information.

"Froakie, the frog pokemon. It secretes flexible bubbles from its chest and back to reduce damage" The pokedex informed him.

The frubble flew through the air and an oncoming Fletchling was soon tangled in its grip. Froakie closed in on the now helpless bird and swatted it down with a pound attack.

"Fletchling, break free from it!"

"That's just evil...' Tadashi thought as he continued watching the battle.

"Fletching!" The trainer called out in dispair.

"End this with bubble" the girl called out.

Froakie launched itself in the air and sucked in its breath before unleashing a barrage of bubbles at the bird, knocking the already defenseless Fletchling out.

"Froakie, return" the girl called, returning the frog to its pokeball.

"Get stronger...then maybe the next time we battle you'll be a challenge...until then, you're just too weak" the girl spat, turning tail and walking along the path towards Santalune City.

"She's good..." Tadashi said, glancing back at the trainer who had just lost.

"Yeah...she's been beating a lot of us since she got here. She's definitely strong, but very brutal..." the boy commented, feeding his fallen comrade a few oran berries.

"No kidding, but she knows what she's doing...I just started" Tadashi sighed.

"Really? With that getup I'd have thought you were a serious trainer. You look like a walking legend or something" the boy chuckled.

"Uh...thanks?" Tadashi replied, not sure whether to be flattered or put off.

"How about a battle, I see you have a Pokemon of your own already" the boy stated, pointing to the Fennekin who was still nested on Tadashi's shoulder.

"Ah...Fennekin. Yeah, she's mine" Tadashi stated, looking over at Fennekin who was looking at the boy with narrowed eyes.

"Is she okay?" The boy asked curiously, wondering why Fennekin was looking at him with such an angry expression.

"Yeah...she just doesn't like males, except me of course" Tadashi explained.

"I see, anyway, so...battle?" The boy asked persistantly.

"Even after a loss you're ready again huh?" Tadashi inquired, watching as Fennekin hopped off his shoulder and landed in front of him in the battle position.

"I'm always ready for a good fight!" The boy said enthusiastically, motioning Fletchling over to him.

"Well, in that case, Fennekin, let's rumble!" Tadashi stated with a grin.

Fennekin nodded and crouched low, ready to face her opponent.

"Fletchling, use quick attack and follow it up with peck!" The boy commanded.

Fletchling barreled towards Fennekin at incredible speeds, its beak aimed for the center of her head.

"Dodge and use scratch!" Tadashi commanded, watching as Fletchling narrowly missed Fennekin only to dodge the oncoming scratch attack.

"Nice work there, I wasn't expecting Fennekin to move that way" The boy laughed.

"I wasn't either...good thing though" Tadashi laughed.

"Even so, she won't be able to avoid him forever, Fletchling go in for another peck, use quick attack to boost!" The boy called out.

"Dodge again and use ember!" Tadashi commanded.

Once again, Fletchling missed his mark and barely avoided an oncoming fireball.

"Quick attack once more!" The boy called out again to his Fletchling who was a little closer this time.

Fletchling rushed towards Fennekin again and due to the close range was able to knock Fennekin over, causing her to tumble across the ground. Fletchling proceeded to land hit after hit, wearing out the little fox.

"Looks like it's time to wrap this up" the boy said with a grin.

"Close in for victory! Quick attack and peck!" The boy called out.

'Fennekin...' Tadashi thought as he watched his partner struggle to get up.

"Fennekin, get out of the way!" Tadashi shouted.

At that moment, Fennekin howled loudly and steam erupted from her ears. Flames shot up around her form, searing the grass beneath her.

Tadashi quickly took out his pokedex and aimed it at Fennekin.

"This ability is called Blaze. Some fire Pokemon experience this when they are low on stamina. It boosts their fire power significantly, however should they take anymore damage, they are liable to faint" the Pokedex explained.

"A boost in fire attacks..." Tadashi said to himself as he looked back at Fennekin.

Fletchling had already stopped mid flight due to it being startled by the sudden development. Even the trainer was shocked.

"Fennekin, use ember!" Tadashi said quickly, causing Fennekin to rear its head back and shot forth an even stronger burst of flames than before. The blast hit Fletchling head-on and the bird took a nosedive as it plummeted.

"Finish up with scratch!" Tadashi commanded.

Fennekin raced forwards and extended its claws, scratching across the underbelly of the tiny bird before pinning it down on the grass. Fennekin then charged up another ember which alarmed both trainers.

"Fennekin no!" Tadashi exclaimed, rushing forward and grabbing Fennekin before she could strike again. After a bit of a struggle, Fennekin eventually fainted due to fatigue. Fletchling had already been beaten and Fennekin looked as though she were out for blood.

Tadashi returned Fennekin to her pokeball and turned to the trainer.

"I'm sorry about that...I didn't know she would go that far..." Tadashi apologised.

The trainer simply sighed and shook his head, returning Fletchling to his ball.

"It's fine, Blaze is a powerful ability but it's incredibly hard to control. Fennekin is too weak to control it right now and probably won't be ready for it until she evolves. Don't worry, I'm not mad. She had an amazing ember though. If you wanna heal her up, Santalune City is just ahead, she should be fine after that" the trainer said reassuringly.

"Thanks...I'll do that" Tadashi said with a smile.

"By the way, what's your name?" The trainer called out.

"Tadashi Misao? And yours?" Tadashi replied.

"It's Jake Tucker, good to meet you Tadashi. Good luck and thanks for the great battle!" Jake responded.

"See you around Jake" Tadashi retorted, turning and heading into Santalune City. His next battle awaited him there.

**So Tadashi has just set out on his journey. After receiving Fennekin from Professor Sycamore he is now on his way to Santalune City. After a fierce battle with another trainer and his Fletchling, Tadashi is on his way to the Gym. So readers, how did you like the first chapter?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Aloha and welcome back to another chapter of my new fanfic! The first chapter got me so excited I decided to pump out another one in case anyone already read the first one and wanted more. I'm ecstatic about this so I'm not going to waste anymore time and just jump right into it. Everyone locked in? Alright, let's ride! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. All it's characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintento.**

**Chapter 2: Picture Perfect!**

After reaching the Pokemon Center in Santalune City, Tadashi gave Fennekin to the nurse who brought her to the back room to be worked on. Tadashi sat in the waiting room while Fennekin was being examined and restored to health. His mind was racing after the battle they'd gone through. Every bit of that fight was intense. Even though it was his first battle, it was invigorating. He still couldn't get the image of the cute little fox staring down at Fletchling like it was dinner. Had Tadashi not stopped the fight after he'd already won, there would have been a barbequed Fletchling on the ground.

A sigh escaped his lips as Tadashi leaned back in his seat. The door to the Pokemon Center opened and a familiar face walked through it. It was the young girl who he'd run into twice before. A proud smirk was fixated on her features as she walked inside with two extra pokeballs in tow. By the looks of things she'd caught a few more and was now coming to the center to make sure her team was healed up.

She didn't acknowledge Tadashi in the slightest as she handed her pokeballs over to the nurse. She seated herself on the opposite side of the center and propped up a leg, grabbing a magazine in the process so she could have something to distract herself with.

"Tadashi?" The nurse behind the counter called, causing Tadashi to glance over towards a stretcher to see Fennekin looking good as new.

"Fen!" Fennekin chirped happily as she hopped off the stretcher onto his right shoulder.

Tadashi picked up her pokeball and secured it to his belt. Fennekin nuzzled her partner and turned to smile at the nurse.

"She's a really energetic one, you seem to have raised her quite well" the nurse complimented.

"Thanks...but I just got her today" Tadashi said with a soft smile, stroking Fennekin behind her ears as he spoke.

"Regardless, it seems as though the two of you have been together for a lot longer than a few hours. Good luck on the rest of your journey" the nurse said with a soft smile.

"Thanks" Tadashi replied, glancing over at the girl who was still reading the magazine, not paying him any mind at all.

Tadashi simply exited the center and looked around. He gave some thought to heading to the Gym, but there was a glaring problem. He noticed it the moment that girl walked in with two more pokeballs in hand that she handed to the nurse. That girl had three Pokemon to work with while he only had Fennekin. That just wasn't going to cut it. According to what he knew, Gym Leaders had at least two or more Pokemon to use in battle. Tadashi might skim by with one victory, but if his Fennekin was pooped out before the second battle, it could end in his defeat. He couldn't take that chance.

"I need another Pokemon..." he said to himself.

Fennekin tilted her head in a confused manner at his comment. Another Pokemon? Was she not enough?

"What do you say we go find ourselves another friend?" Tadashi inquired, earning a smile from Fennekin.

The word 'friend' stuck out in that sentence. This trainer thought of his Pokemon as friends and was clearly different than some other trainers she'd seen walk through Sycamore's doors. The two made their way back towards route four. The doors to the Pokemon Center opened behind them causing them to turn around to see the girl heading in the opposite direction. She was heading towards a building that looked to be a place for art or something. Perhaps she liked that sort of thing.

Tadashi and Fennekin headed towards the route and began their search for more Pokemon. Tadashi and Fennekin searched for quite some time and after about fourty five minutes they decided to take a rest.

"It seems like there aren't very many around here...probably due to everyone out here battling. They must be skittish or something" Tadashi sighed, leaning back in the grass they'd stopped on.

Fennekin simply nestled into his side, closing her eyes to relax. As she was resting, a noise caught her attention, causing her ears to twitch. She craned her head to see what made the noise. Tadashi looked down at Fennekin who seemed to be staring intently at something white moving around in the grass. Before long, a small white bodied Pokemon stepped out from the taller grass into the open. It's body resembled that of a night gown and it had hair that looked like a bowl cut with two red horns, one on the front and one on the back of its head. Tadashi got up quickly and pointed his pokedex at it.

"Ralts, the psychic/fairy pokemon. This pokemon rarely appears before people, but if it senses that a trainer has a positive disposition, it will draw closer out of curiosity. If it senses hostility, it will hide" the pokedex stated.

"Psychic...fairy? Must be a new typing...in anycase, Ralts are rare, this must be our lucky day" Tadashi said to Fennekin with a smirk.

Ralts continued to draw closer to Tadashi until it was right in front of him. Fennekin wandered up to the bi-pedal Pokemon and sniffed it.

"Ralts?" The Pokemon said curiously, tilting its head at Fennekin who looked up at Tadashi.

"Fen...Fennekin" Fennekin chirped happily, turning to Tadashi with a nod.

Tadashi knelt down in front of the Ralts and observed it. It seemed as though it wanted to be friends, but he couldn't be sure.

"Hey there Ralts, nice to meet you. Wanna join my partner and I?" Tadashi asked curiously, getting a confused expression from Ralts.

"You see, I'm on a journey to make many new friends and see the world. I was wondering if you wanted to be one of them? As in, join our team?" Tadashi inquired.

Ralts looked over at Fennekin who walked over and sat by Tadashi's side again.

It soon nodded and walked a good distance from the two and assumed what could be determined as a battle stance.

'So it wants to fight first huh? Alright...Ralts, you're as good as mine' Tadashi thought as he looked over at Fennekin.

"Alright Fennekin, this Ralts wants to rumble, let's show it what we're made of!" Tadashi said excitedly.

Fennekin assumed her battle position and stared back at Ralts who stared right back.

"Alright Fennekin, use ember!" Tadashi commanded.

Fennekin sucked in air and spit fire at Ralts who stayed calm as the flames neared it. At the last second it suddenly began to duplicate itself, moving at incredibly fast speeds as the fire was avoided. Fennekin looked around rather confused, turning her head one way then the next. At that point Ralts came to a stop behind her and its eyes began to glow crimson, creating a scarlet aura around Fennekin. Fennekin was lifted up and tossed a good distance, causing her to skid into the grass.

'So it knows double team and confusion...this is going to be rough...' Tadashi thought as Fennekin got back up.

"Fennekin, charge and use scratch!" Tadashi ordered.

Fennekin rushed forwards quickly only for her attack to be dodged again by double team.

'There's gotta be a way around that...' Tadashi thought as he watched the Ralts continue to rapidly move around Fennekin.

Tadashi watched the grass rustle under the feet of Ralts and an idea sparked in his mind.

"Fennekin, spin and use ember on the grass!" Tadashi called out.

Fennekin blinked as she was given a rather odd command but didn't question it. She charged up the flames in her mouth and spun around, spewing fire from her mouth onto the grass in a circle. As she did this, the double team ceased because Ralts had stepped on some of the flames, scorching its foot. Ralts doubled back in pain which gave Tadashi the opening he needed.

"Ember again and then rush in with scratch!" Tadashi called out.

Fennekin obeyed and fired another ember towards Ralts who wasn't quick enough to defend. At that moment, Fennekin was already too close and Ralts felt Fennekin's claws scratch across its belly. Ralts struggled to stand but fell forward from fatigue, barely concious. Tadashi took out a pokeball and launched it at Ralts. The little one was absorbed into the ball and it soon fell to the ground, twitching a few times before settling down. A satisfied smile crossed Tadashi's visage as he walked over and picked up the ball.

"We have a new friend Fennekin" Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"Fen!" Fennekin chirped happily, glancing around to see what else they could find.

"We've got two for now, why don't we head back and heal Ralts and then go challenge the Gym?" Tadashi inquired, getting a nod from Fennekin who hopped onto Tadashi's shoulder.

Tadashi headed back to the Pokemon Center for a quick heal and as soon as that was done he stepped out to find the Gym.

"Okay...now let's take a look at the map..." Tadashi said to himself, glancing down at his pokedex as he turned to the map section of it.

"According to this...the Gym should be over there" Tadashi said aloud, pointing to a building in the distance.

Fennekin followed his gaze and tilted her head curiously as she saw the building. The two made their way over to the Gym and stopped in front of it, both dawning puzzled expressions.

"This is the Gym?" Tadashi asked to nobody in particular.

"That's right" A voice from behind him said, prompting him to turn around.

A woman with dark green eyes and brown hair stood behind Tadashi. She had a pokemon standing behind her that looked rather timid. Tadashi took out his pokedex and pointed at the pokemon.

"Helioptile, the generator Pokemon. These Pokemon get their energy from the sun so eating food isn't a necessity" the pokedex informed.

"Ah, a new trainer I see. Come to challenge my sister eh?" The woman said with a smirk.

"Your sister is the Gym Leader? Who are you then?" Tadashi inquired.

"I'm Alexa, and as you've already found out, this is my partner Helioptile. I'm a journalist and as of right now I'm looking for a scoop. But I suppose that can wait until later. It'd be interesting to see a new trainer go up against my sister" Alexa said with an amused expression.

"She sounds tough from how you talk about her" Tadashi sweat dropped.

"Well, she is strong. However, about an hour ago some girl came in and stomped her. That girl had incredible command of her team. To think she just started out and already defeated Viola. I'd hate to see how she turns out down the road, she was pretty scary" Alexa said with a nervous laugh.

'That girl...' Tadashi thought as he remembered the battle between the Froakie and the Fletchling he'd fought.

'So she's already ahead of me...I'd better get a move on..' Tadashi thought as he stepped forward into the Gym.

"Eager eh? Can't blame you. Let me introduce you to her then" Alexa said as they stepped inside together.

As they walked in, Tadashi was met by a rather beautiful display of pictures. Pokemon and humans alike were displayed brilliantly.

"These are amazing!" Tadashi said aloud, looking at a picture of a young boy and a Yanma playing in the grass. There were many pictures of bug Pokemon within the walls, alluding to the Gym Leaders preferred typing.

"Thank you, I do my best" an unfamiliar voice said from behind him.

Tadashi turned around, Fennekin looking as well to see who had spoken. He soon came face to face with another woman. She had blond hair and green eyes. She was wearing a white tank top, and cargo pants. She had a camera strapped on her shoulder as well.

"You're welcome..." Tadashi said with a faint smile.

"Oh sis, this is a challenger, his name is..." Alexa paused, sweat dropping as she hadn't asked his name.

"Tadashi" Tadashi said with a soft chuckle.

"Tadashi! Yes, and he wants to battle you, what do you say sis?" Alexa asked with a smile.

"Well...he doesn't look very tough..." Viola muttered, getting a stern look from Alexa.

"But I don't turn down a challenge" Viola said with a smirk.

"This way Tadashi, I hope you're ready because once I have victory in my focus there is no escape" Viola said with a grin.

"Bring it Viola" Tadashi smirked.

The two made their way to the gym floor and stood on opposite sides.

"I'll referee" Alexa said as she stood between the two on the battlefield.

"This Gym battle is between Viola the Gym Leader and Tadashi the challenger. Only the challenger may substitute Pokemon during the battle. This will be a two on two match. Tadashi will have the first move. Ready? Begin!" Alexa called out.

"Alright, Ralts let's get this started!" Tadashi said as he threw out his first Pokemon.

"Surskit, time for a picture perfect battle!" Viola said as she threw her pokemon out onto the floor.

Tadashi had seen a surskit before considering they were seen skating near his hometown. He also knew they could be an annoyance due to their dual typing.

"Ralts let's start this off with double team!" Tadashi commanded.

Ralts began duplicating itself at a rapid pace around Surskit, causing the blue Pokemon to look in multiple directions.

"Starting off with a double team huh? I don't think so...Surskit use ice beam on the floor!" Viola commanded, getting a shocked reaction from Tadashi.

The entire floor was turned to ice within seconds, throwing off Ralts's double team in an instant.

"Now use sticky web!" Viola stated, shooting out a sticky web to ensnare Ralts.

"Now use quick attack!" Viola commanded.

Surskit obeyed and shot across the floor at breakneck speeds, slamming into Ralts and skating off around the arena.

Ralts was now struggling to get back up after a heavy hit. It was now stuck to the ice due to the web, barely able to move.

'Great...now what?' Tadashi thought as he watched Surskit racing around.

"I think it's time we ended this, Surskit, use quick attack once more!" Viola called out.

Surskit raced towards Ralts at intense speeds, ready to deal the finishing blow.

'Think Tadashi...what can you do?' Tadashi thought as Surskit got closer. At that moment he remembered his battle with the Ralts and something clicked.

"That's right, Ralts use confusion!" Tadashi called out, remembering the one move that didn't require Ralts to be mobile.

Ralts looked straight at Surskit and her eyes began to glow scarlet. Suddenly Surskit was slung across the ground by an unseen force and had no control over itself. Tadashi had gotten lucky, the confusion's second effect had kicked in. Surskit was now racing around out of control and soon it slammed itself into a wall, knocking itself out.

"Surskit is unable to battle, the winner of this battle is Ralts!" Alexa stated.

"Wow, that was a lucky break, I thought I had you there" Viola said as she withdrew Surskit.

"I thought I was a gonner" Tadashi said with a relieved sigh.

"Oh, you're not out of the woods yet. Let's go Vivillon!" Viola hollered, tossing her next pokeball out.

The energy expelled from the ball, revealing a butterfly-like pokemon with various colors on its wings. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

'I don't like the looks of this...' Tadashi thought as he stared down the fully evolved Pokemon.

"Vivillon, gust!" Viola commanded.

Vivillon flapped its wings furiously, unleasing a powerful gust that knocked Ralts back into a wall. Due to the sticky web still attached to it, Ralts was now stuck to the wall.

"Now use solar beam, it's time for the photo finish!" Viola stated with a grin, making a picture symbol with her fingers.

Vivillon gathered in sunlight from the light that poured in from the glass ceiling above them. Soon a brilliant yellow beam erupted from its mouth and struck Ralts with devastating force. When the smoke cleared, Ralts had been knocked out.

"Ralts!" Tadashi cried out as he saw his Pokemon in a battered state.

"Ralts, return..." Tadashi sighed, returning his friend to her Pokeball.

"You did great...you deserve to rest" Tadashi said as he looked towards Fennekin.

"It's up to you now partner" Tadashi stated, getting an affirmative nod from Fennekin who hopped down and assumed the battle position.

"Down to your Fennekin huh? A fire typing might have the advantage over the bug typing but that doesn't mean a thing if it's not had good training. Your Ralts just couldn't cut it" Viola smirked.

"That doesn't mean we won't try our best" Tadashi said with a grimace, a determined expression fixating itself on his features.

"Fennekin, ember!" Tadashi commanded, causing Fennekin to rear its head back.

"Blow it away with gust!" Viola countered.

Fennekin shot a blazing ember at Vivillon who blew the flames away with a strong wind, causing Fennekin to slide across the slick arena.

'That's right...the floor is still slippery, Fennekin won't be able to do anything but stand and shoot...if I can't get in close I won't be able to do anything..' Tadashi thought to himself.

"Use double team!" Viola called out to Vivillon.

Vivillon began to duplicate itself at an even faster rate than he'd seen Ralts. It was clear to Tadashi that he'd better do something quick before this ended badly. An idea soon occured to him that might get him out of the jam he was in. He couldn't afford to take a hit from a solar beam, a move he was sure she'd use next. He did the only thing that made sense to him at the time.

"Fennekin, use ember on the floor!" Tadashi called out, getting a confused look from Viola and Alexa.

Fennekin, getting the message, unleashed her flames on the floor causing the area to become rather steamy. It was difficult to see what was going on at that point. Confused, Vivillon stopped its double team and flew out of the fog that had been created.

'Using the fog for cover...clever, but that won't work...' Viola thought as she looked at Vivillon.

"Use gust to blow away the fog!" Viola demanded, watching as Vivillon did as it was told.

A smirk crossed Tadashi's features as she blew away a section of the fog only to find that Fennekin wasn't there.

"Fennekin, now, use ember!" Tadashi commanded.

A blast of fire shot from the fog behind Vivillon, dispersing it to reveal Fennekin had been behind it. The attack connected with a resounding explosion, causing the butterfly-like Pokemon to fall towards the arena, struggling to keep aloft.

"Get in close and jump, use scratch!" Tadashi called out.

"Dodge it!" Viola cried out.

Obeying, Fennekin rushed towards the struggling Vivillon who finally regained its balance and avoided Fennekin.

"Whew...close one" Viola commented.

"Almost..." Tadashi thought as he glanced up at Vivillon who was still managing to stay in the air, but barely.

"Vivillon, use gust!" Viola called out again.

Vivillon flapped its wings and released a blast of wind that still had enough strength to blow Fennekin back into a wall. Fennekin managed to get up but struggled a bit as it was getting worn out.

"Vivillon, it's time for that photo finish, use solar beam!" Viola called out enthusiastically.

Vivillon began gathering the energy for the attack which was just the window of opportunity that Tadashi was looking for.

"Fennekin, close in quickly and jump to use ember at point blank range!" Tadashi commanded.

Fennekin quickly got herself together and raced towards Vivillon with what remaining strength she had. She lept towards the low flying Vivillon and opened her mouth, releasing a blast of flames right in the butterfly's face. At the same time, Vivillon released a solar beam. An explosion threw both pokemon back onto the arena. Fennekin tumbled across the floor and landed on its stomach. Vivillon just crashed to the floor, knocked out.

Fennekin struggled to stand up and then passed out from fatigue. Alexa crossed inbetween Viola and Tadashi and delivered the verdict.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle, but since Vivillon was knocked out first and Fennekin just now passed out, the victory goes to Tadashi!" Alexa declared.

"So he beat me after all...what a shot" Viola commented to herself as she crossed the gym floor.

"Vivillon you did great, return and get some rest" Viola stated, returning her Pokemon to its ball.

"I must say I'm impressed, I wasn't expecting you to get creative like you did back there. A makeshift smokescreen threw me for a loop" Viola chuckled.

"You were great too, your sister was right about you being strong. I thought you had me for a while there" Tadashi said nervously, scratching his head lightly as he looked at Viola.

"Anyway, that was a picture perfect battle. In honor of your victory, I present you with the bug badge" Viola said with a bright smile.

Tadashi reached out and took the badge, placing it inside the box he'd been given by Sycamore.

"Thanks, this was so much fun. I learned a lot here" Tadashi said as he bowed respectfully to Viola.

"I had fun too. I can't wait to see how well you do at the other Gyms" Viola commented.

"Indeed, you are quite talented for someone who just started out. I look forward to seeing more of you in the future" Alexa said with a smirk.

"Thanks, now I really should be going off to the Pokemon Center, it's getting dark and I need to sleep, so do my teammates" Tadashi said with a smile.

"Of course, and thanks for the fun battle. Good luck on your journey" Viola said as Tadashi made his way out of the Gym towards the Pokemon Center.

After a long battle, he deserved to get a little rest. After checking in and healing up his Pokemon, he made his way into his room and released his team from their balls. Fennekin hopped up on the bed next to Tadashi and snuggled onto the pillow next to him. Ralts leaned against the wall by the bed and sighed contently as she went to sleep.

"Thanks you two, you're the best" Tadashi said with a smile.

Fennekin yipped happily, as did Ralts and soon the trio were fast asleep with one thing on their minds, the next part of their journey together.

**Tadashi has just defeated Viola after a long hard battle. It was difficult to tell who was going to come out on top but after a few clever moves, Tadashi came out on top. He's made a new friend in Ralts and hopes to make many more. What will happen next? His journey is certainly getting interesting. How did you all like it? Let me know in the review section. Find out what happens in the next exciting chapter! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Aloha again! Yes, I know it's another chapter already. I apologise if these are flying out too fast, but when you are wired on sugar and can't stop writing, well...I'm sure some of you know how that goes. Anywho, let's see what Tadashi gets himself into in this chapter. Ready, set, battle! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content belong to Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 3: The Flame from Kanto**

Tadashi was still fast asleep in his bed in the Pokemon Center in Santalune City. It was late morning and there were other trainers coming into the center to heal their Pokemon. Some had challenged Viola and lost and were in the process of recovering. Fennekin's ears twitched as it heard a strange noise coming from Tadashi's backpack. Curious, Fennekin hopped off of the bed and walked over to the backpack and sniffed it.

"Fen!" Fennekin called out, hoping to rouse her trainer to see what it was. No such luck.

Ralts had woken up, thanks to the noise coming from the backpack. The Psychic/Fairy pokemon yawned and looked over at Fennekin with tired eyes. It waddled over to the backpack and looked down at it in confusion. Extending its arm it found the zipper and opened it only for Tadashi's holo caster to fall out.

The holo caster landed on the button that opened the messages and a hologram of Sycamore came up. Fennekin yipped for her trainer to wake up but wasn't getting anywhere. Annoyed, Fennekin lept onto the bed and stood over her trainer. Sucking in air, she was prepared to unleash an ember onto Tadashi's face. As she was about to do this, she felt herself being lifted off the bed and set on the floor. Ralts climbed onto the bed and walked over to Tadashi and used her abilities to promptly toss him onto the floor with her mind.

The sudden fall awoke Tadashi with a start. Fennekin yipped at him again and nodded to the silent holo caster. The message hadn't played yet because he needed to start it.

"Well good morning to you two as well" Tadashi mumbled, crawling over to the holo caster and hitting the button to listen to the message.

"Good morning Tadashi. I hope I haven't woken you up too early. I heard you defeated Viola, Alexa told me about it when she came back to Lumiose. I was beginning to wonder how you were doing but now I can see you are capable of handling yourself. I am impressed. I have a favor I'd like to ask of you. If you could swing by my lab before noon, there is something I'd like to give you" Sycamore said before his message faded out.

"I wonder what it could be" Tadashi said to himself as he stood up, glancing over at his clothing that was on the floor.

He quickly put his attire back on and fixed his hair so he wouldn't look like a disheveled mess and wandered out of his room, his team in tow. Fennekin perched herself on his shoulder and Ralts was back in her pokeball. As he made his way into the main area, there were several trainers discussing strategies for defeating Viola. One had a set of straight jet black hair that was mid length. He wore glasses and had on a black T-shirt with blue shorts. The other had brown hair that was short and he wore a green striped long-sleeve with orange shorts.

"No, that won't work. You need something that can overpower her. My Corphish can take her Surskit, and my Pidgey can go blow for blow with Vivillon. You don't have anything that can fly, how do you expect to beat her ace?" The black haired trainer commented to another.

"I can do just fine with what I have thank you very much" the brown haired trainer grumbled.

"There is nothing wrong with my combo, if that guy with the Fennekin can win like Viola said then so can I" the brown haired trainer continued.

'Great...Viola must have spouted off about my battle and how unorthodox it was...' Tadashi thought as he proceeded to walk out of the center.

Now that he thought about it, he won that match by pure luck. Landing the confusions effect at that moment was critical and had he not done that, well, that match would have ended differently. It was a sloppy battle but he managed to pull a win, but barely. If the Gym Leaders were this tough starting out, he couldn't imagine how strong they were down the road. As he was lost in thought, he didn't notice the two arguing trainers had taken note of him and were now following him, arguing about something.

"I still don't see how he did it, he's got nothing that can fly and nothing that can deal with the dual typing of her Pokemon so how did he do it?" The black haired trainer wondered.

Fennekin shot both boys a glare, growling at their presence. Tadashi sighed softly and turned around, glancing at Fennekin with a stern expression as if to say 'back down.'

"What's with your Fennekin?" The brown haired boy asked curiously, staying a few feet away from it out of nervousness.

"She has a strong dislike for other male trainers... Anyway, what can I help you two with? I assume you heard about the battle I had with Viola...otherwise you wouldn't be following me around..." Tadashi deadpanned.

"Yeah...I was telling my friend here that it doesn't matter which Pokemon you use as long as you have a good strategy, but he seems to think you need to match the types up with whoever has the advantage" the brown haired boy murmured.

Tadashi sighed as he looked between the two boys. He didn't know what to make of this situation. He wasn't an expert trainer, and he couldn't give good advice on how to defeat the Gym Leaders as he was just starting out himself.

"Look guys...I'm just starting out like you two. I can't give you wisdom like other trainers might be able to. However, there is some truth to what both of you are saying. Both of you are right. From what I learned from Viola...it doesn't matter if you have the type advantage if your opponent has a better trained Pokemon than you do. I was just fortunate in my match" Tadashi said, glancing down at Fennekin.

"My team helped me out, that was the cause of our victory. I still have a lot to learn and by the looks of things, so do you two. And as for how to defeat Viola, if you argue like you were before, you're going to be here a while. Why don't you two train together and then go face her. You'll be a lot better off that way" Tadashi stated as he turned and headed for route 4, his jacket billowing in the wind.

"Hey, what's your name?" The black haired boy called out.

"It's Tadashi Misao, and yours?" Tadashi inquired back.

"My name's Brent!" The black haired boy replied.

"And I'm Kolbie!" The brown haired youth responded.

"I'll remember that, maybe we'll meet up on the road and perhaps we can have a battle then. For now, beat Viola and then catch up to me. I have a feeling I'll be close for a while..." Tadashi said, remembering he had a meeting with Sycamore to attend to.

Fennekin lept onto his right shoulder and looked back at the boys disapprovingly as usual. He would need to get her out of the habit of wanting to attack every other male she met. He began to wonder if she disliked male Pokemon too. If so, this was going to be a problem.

It took him a while to reach Lumiose City again but he made it. As he walked back to the lab, a lot was on his mind. The fact that he was on an adventure hadn't really hit him...until he got a glimpse of the city once more. He was on an adventure, a freaking Pokemon journey. He was excited but hadn't really showed it. In a moment of spontanious joy, he pumped his fist high into the air.

"I'm finally on a journey!" He shouted to nobody in particular.

And then he cried and laughed at the same time. It had finally sunk in. He was now on a journey to become a master. His father wasn't around to see it, but he certainly knew that if he were, he'd be cheering him on. When he and his mother got the news, Tadashi was devastated as was Grace. There was no trace of Tadashi's father when the accident occurred. He was without his father for six years and now it was all catching up to him. Wiping the tears from his eyes he turned his head to face Fennekin who had a concerned look on her visage.

"Fennekin...partner...let's do our best!" Tadashi said with a smirk, reaching up to stroke Fennekin behind the ears.

"Fen!" Fennekin chirped, nuzzling into his touch.

"This isn't a time for crying...it's a time for me to be happy as heck because I'm finally out here doing what I've always wanted to do...now, why don't we go see what the Professor wants hmm?" Tadashi said, getting a nod from Fennekin.

Tadashi made his way into the lab and looked around for Sycamore.

"Tadashi, Tres bien, you're here!" The familiar voice of Sycamore called out, making Tadashi aware of his presence.

"Yep, I'm back, whatcha need Professor?" Tadashi wondered, looking at the pokeball that was in Sycamore's hand.

"Well, you see...we made a breakthrough in our Mega Evolution list. We were doing some research on some Pokemon from Kanto and found that all three of the starters that can mega evolve. Sadly I only have one left but it's the most interesting of them all" Sycamore said with a grin.

"What do you mean by that?" Tadashi inquired, tilting his head curiously.

"Well, the other two were already taken by the ones I'd given starters to yesterday. They too stopped by earlier and have recently left. And like last time, they left behind this, and I think you're going to like this" Sycamore said as he released the Pokemon from its ball.

Sycamore couldn't have been anymore right in what he said. What came out of that ball made Tadashi's eyes become as big as saucers. There stood a bipedal orange reptile with a cream colored underside and a flame at the end of its tail. Its blue eyes stared back at Tadashi in a calm manner. This was Charmander, the part of the evolutionary chain of his favorite Pokemon.

"Hold the phone...is he...or she...mine?" Tadashi asked, wondering if the Professor was pulling his leg or not.

"Of course he is. Charmander here has been waiting patiently for a trainer to take him on a journey. There can be no doubt that you are best suited for it. Now for the interesting part" Sycamore said as he brought out two stones for Tadashi.

"Both of these go with Charmander however you may only choose one. According to our data, this one completely changes Charizard to a different dual typing. We still need to do further research but from what I understand it's an incredible sight" Sycamore explained.

"I think I'll take that one then...it sounds like it could be amazing" Tadashi said as he took the stone from Sycamore.

"So...what is this?" Tadashi asked curiously, glancing down at the black and blue stone.

"It's a mega stone. When given to your Charmander when it evolves into Charizard, it will ascend to greater heights of evolution and mega evolve. As of right now, the potential is limitless for it. The only way to find out what the stone has in store is to evolve Charmander to his final stage" Sycamore said with a bright smile.

"A mega evolved Charizard eh? Sounds like fun...I can't wait!" Tadashi exclaimed, looking down at Charmander who was now staring at him.

"Hey there Charmander..." Tadashi said as he knelt down beside the reptilian Pokemon.

Fennekin hopped off his shoulder and stared at Charmander, sniffing it for a moment to get to know what it was as this was the first time she'd seen Charmander. She yipped happily and turned back to Tadashi who sighed in relief.

"Good, it's only with trainers it seems..." Tadashi breathed, getting a chuckle out of Sycamore.

"I see you've seen more of Fennekin's personality. Her dislike of male trainers is rather strange but then again she has her reasons. The same disposition doesn't extend towards Pokemon though which is a good thing. Otherwise, you'd have quite a mess on your hands now wouldn't you?" Sycamore laughed.

"I was afraid it would be that way, but I'm glad to see it's not. Now...I just need to keep her from wanting to barbeque every other male trainer she meets...which is easier said than done. She nearly did it today had I not told her to back down" Tadashi mumbled.

"Anyway, we're getting off topic. So, Mega Evolution, I take it you want me to help you research it too?" Tadashi inquired, putting the pieces together slowly.

He was given a Pokemon to help with the research so obviously he would be given a mega stone to help with that research as well right?

Sycamore nodded, signifying that Tadashi was indeed correct.

"Exactly, we're going to be needing all the help we can get. I figured while you collect badges and Pokemon, you could collect some data on Mega Evolution as well. And now that you have your own Pokemon that can mega evolve at a later stage, it should be easier, no?" Sycamore said with a smirk.

"I suppose you're right" Tadashi said as he glanced back down at Charmander.

"What do you say Charmander? Care to join our family?" Tadashi inquired, getting an excited reply from Charmander.

"Char char!" Charmander responded excitedly.

"Well, that's that, welcome to the family Charmander" Tadashi said as he took Charmander's pokeball and returned him to it.

Clipping it under his belt, Tadashi glanced back at Sycamore who seemed quite satisfied with the turn of events. Fennekin hopped back onto Tadashi's right shoulder, nestling into her favorite place to rest.

"Well, that takes care of everything Tadashi. I trust you'll be heading for your next Gym badge right?" Sycamore inquired, getting a nod from Tadashi.

"Right, I should be going" Tadashi stated, turning to leave.

"Alright, be well, we'll talk soon" Sycamore called after Tadashi as he exited the building with renewed vigor.

"Okay Fennekin, let's see where the next Gym is!" Tadashi stated enthusiastically as he opened up his pokedex to the map section.

"Let's see...by the looks of things...it's in a place called Cylage City. To get there...we need to go through Camphrier Town and that's quite a ways off...but it looks like we can take Versant Road to get there...also known as route five. Well, let's hop to it" Tadashi said as he began his march to route five.

As Tadashi was heading towards the route, he caught sight of a few signs that were flashing over what looked to be a theatre of some sort. The sign showed what appeared to be a popular actress. She had short brown curly hair and was being admired by several onlookers. Tadashi was so distracted that he wasn't aware that he was about to collide with someone. Once again he found himself flat on his back with Fennekin looking down at him nervously.

"What the...YOU!" Screamed a familiar and unwelcomed individual as she stood up, huffing in rage.

"Ooooo, if I wasn't in such a hurry I'd send you to oblivion in a hand basket!" She fumed, picking up her belongings that she'd dropped.

"Again...sorry about that. I didn't mean to..." Tadashi began.

"Save it! I don't want your lame excuses. Next time we meet, we battle. If I win, you stay as far away from me as possible...got that?" The girl snarled, storming off towards the other side of the street, right towards Versant Road...exactly where he needed to go.

"I have a feeling this is going to be a recurring experience..." Tadashi muttered, getting a snicker out of Fennekin.

"But, if we meet in battle we'll just have to do our best to win. She's a serious contender...but I'm not gonna let her get to me..." Tadashi smirked, making his way slowly towards Versant Road. He wasn't in too big of a hurry.

Perhaps he'd give her time to get down the road to the next town before he started out. His journey has gotten interesting so far and this was just the beginning. After waiting a while, Tadashi decided to take a trip down Versant Road. He wasn't in a hurry after all. As soon as he walked through the station, he came upon two trainers that were in the middle of a battle. One trainer was wearing a dark orange T-shirt with black shorts and sandals and he was commanding a Doduo. The other wore a white muscle shirt with blue shorts and sneakers commanding a rather small panda-like Pokemon.

"Doduo, finish this match with fury attack!" One trainer called out to the twin headed bird.

Doduo rushed towards its opponent with vicious intent. The opposing Pokemon looked worn out and it didn't look like things would get any better. The little Pokemon was pecked and scratched furiously by the Doduo, knocking it out.

"Pancham!" The Pokemon's trainer called out, rushing in to pick up his fallen Pokemon.

"Too easy, why don't you train better and maybe you'll get as good as me loser" The winning trainer gloated.

Tadashi narrowed his eyes at this display. He did not like situations like this. Making his way towards the losing trainer he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright, you did your best" Tadashi stated, glancing back at the other trainer with a stern expression.

"Who are you? Don't tell me you wanna challenge me too? That will make fifteen wins for me in a row today. So how about it, ready to add a tally mark to my wall?" The trainer snickered.

Tadashi rolled his eyes and looked the trainer in the eyes.

"I may have only started my journey, and I may be ecstatic as heck to be out here...but if there is one thing that can ruin it, it's trainers like you..." Tadashi said, his words laced with venom.

"Oooo, I'm so scared. Why don't we see if you can back up your words" the boy said with a smirk.

"Alright then, it's a battle" Tadashi said as he glanced over at Fennekin who gladly lept from his shoulder, growling at the trainer before her.

"What's her deal?" The trainer asked with a grimace.

"Oh nothing, she's just allergic to bullies" Tadashi said with a smirk.

"Very funny, let's get this show on the road, let's go Scraggy!" The trainer called out, sending out his first Pokemon.

"You're up Fennekin" Tadashi said as Fennekin crouched down into a battle position.

"Scraggy, go in for a headbutt!" The trainer commanded.

"Fennekin, avoid it and use ember!" Tadashi called out.

Scraggy raced towards Fennekin with its head aimed straight for Fennekins nose only to miss and put itself in Fennekin's line of fire.

The other trainer smirked at this and didn't seem phased in the slightest.

"Use low kick!" The trainer called to Scraggy, just as a flame was unleased from Fennekin.

Scraggy ducked down below the fire and swept Fennekin off her feet.

"Now use feint attack!" The trainer called to Scraggy, causing the Pokemon to disappear from sight for a split second only to slam into Fennekin.

"Fennekin!" Tadashi called to his now injured friend.

"End it with headbutt!" The trainer commanded, watching as Scraggy slammed its head into Fennekin, knocking her out.

"You're as weak as that other guy, he put up more of a fight than you!" The trainer cackled.

"You did well Fennekin...your friends will take it from here" Tadashi said softly as he picked up Ralts's pokeball and hurled it onto the field.

"Ralts, let's go!" Tadashi said, summoning his other companion to the field.

"This will be so easy!" The trainer said mockingly.

A smirk crossed Tadashi's features as he looked down at Ralts.

"Scraggy, use feint attack!" The trainer commanded.

"Ralts..double team now!" Tadashi called out.

Ralts's soon began duplicating herself completely throwing Scraggy for a loop. The Pokemon stood there confused as to what to do.

"Let's try out something new...that battle with Viola made you stronger so let's take a look at your new move. Disarming voice!" Tadashi commanded.

Ralts sucked in air and soon let out a powerful cry, causing Scraggy to cover its ears as it took damage. Scraggy couldn't take it any longer and soon fainted, falling over.

"Hey, that wasn't fair!" The trainer scowled, returning Scraggy to its pokeball.

"Life's not fair...but what can you do about it?" Tadashi replied.

"I can beat you, Doduo let's show him what we mean!" The boy called out, sending out his twin-headed bird.

"Use quick attack to get in close and then fury attack!" The boy called out.

"Dodge it Ralts!" Tadashi commanded, only it was a bit late for that as Doduo was known for its speed.

The large bird rammed into Ralts's smaller frame and soon went on a rampage, kicking and pecking Ralts until it flopped over from fatigue. Tadashi sighed and returned Ralts to her pokeball.

"You see? Weak! That makes two victories for me, and one for you. You have no hope" the boy gloated, puffing his chest proudly.

"Oh but I do...and his name is, Charmander!" Tadashi shouted, throwing Charmander onto the field.

"We'll take care of him just like the last ones, Doduo, fury attack!" The boy commanded.

"Let it get in close..." Tadashi said, getting a confused look from the boy who previously battled the trainer.

'Why would he do that? He's just going to take a heavy hit, and once fury attack hits it doesn't stop...' the boy thought curiously as he watched the battle play out.

"It's over!" The other trainer shouted gleefully as Doduo closed in.

"Charmander, ember!" Tadashi commanded, right as Doduo was about to strike.

Charmander opened its mouth and fired a point blank ember right in Doduo's face, sending the overgrown bird stumbling away from Charmander.

"Hit it with scratch and then blast it one more time with ember!" Tadashi commanded.

Charmander raced towards the dazed Doduo and slashed along its side before turning and loosing a heated blast of flames onto the bird, sending it crashing to the grass, knocked out cold.

"This can't be, I lost?!" The trainer said in disbelief.

"That's right...let that be a lesson to you. Bullying other trainers is just plain wrong. Those who do so don't deserve to call themselves a trainer..." Tadashi stated as he turned to the other trainer who had lost with a smile.

"I think the two of you can work things out from here...I need to get to the next town. I hope you both learned a lesson" Tadashi said as he departed.

"Hey wait a second!" The trainer Tadashi battled called out.

"What's your name?!" He asked, determined to get an answer.

"It's Tadashi Misao" Tadashi called back.

"I'm Blake Spencer, and one day I'm going to beat you Tadashi!" Blake said with a determined expression.

"Perhaps you will, but in the meantime, remember what I told you. Work on that attitude of yours...treat others better and you'll go far" Tadashi said as he turned to walk away.

"Thank you Tadashi!" The other trainer called out.

"The name's Ren, farewell!" Ren said as Tadashi left the two to their own devices.

Camphrier Town was a little ways away, but he figured he'd make it there a little after noon. He'd gotten to battle with his new partner so everything was working out perfectly. He could only hope he wouldn't run into that girl again. Part of him wanted the challenge, but after seeing how strong she was, he wasn't sure if he was ready. One thing was for certain...she would make a great rival should they ever battle.

**Tadashi has just received a Charmander and a mega stone to boot. But what awaits our hero as he walks the path of the trainer? And why does he keep running into that girl, literally? All will be revealed in the next exciting chapter of Pokemon: The Flames of Revolution! I hope you enjoyed this so far, because I sure have! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Goooooooood morning everyone! Yes, I said morning. What? Did you think I was in your time zone? Anyway, my early morning chipper attitude (like it actually exists) aside, how have you all enjoyed the first three chapters? I know there were some errors in there but I'm not the best with grammar soooo...oh, and I remedied a few discrepancies in some of the battles so reading them won't make you go "OBJECTION!" Anyway, it's early and I'm wide awake and some of you mainlanders and other peeps all over probably are too so let's get this thing started shall we? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of it's characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo.**

**Chapter 4: The Rival and the Roadblock**

After about an hour and a half of walking and battling other trainers along the way, Tadashi finally made it to Camphrier Town. He also managed to add a Skiddo to his team which he'd met about ten minutes prior to entering the town. It seemed like an old school town, compared to the other cities. It looked as though it needed an upgrade to keep up with the times. That aside, it was still a nice town albeit a little small. So small in fact, that he could see the exit gate not too far from where he stood.

"Well Fennekin, it looks like we've made it but uh...what's going on?" Tadashi thought as he saw a battle unfolding and a few people gathering around to watch.

"Beedrill use twineedle!" A familiar female voice commanded.

"Bunnelby get out of the way!" A rather distraught sounding trainer shouted as his Pokemon tried to avoid getting nailed.

Beedrill was too quick for Bunnelby and the attack landed, sending Bunnelby tumbling back end over end before passing out.

"Beedrill, return" the girl stated, returning it to its pokeball.

"That wasn't fair I want a rematch!" The young boy trainer demanded.

"As if I'd waste my time on you...go find someone else to bother..." the girl shot back.

"What's the matter, scared?!" The boy countered.

"Hardly...you lost three times. You've been following me since we met on Versant Road now I'm going to kindly ask you to stay out of my face" the girl snarled.

'Someone's got their undies in a twist...' Tadashi thought, glancing over to Fennekin who simply shook her head.

"Fine then, scaredy cat!" The boy taunted, sticking his tongue out childishly before storming off.

"Impudent child.." The girl muttered, her greyish-green hues shifting to spot Tadashi who had just walked into town.

"YOU AGAIN?!" She growled, walking swiftly over to him.

"Oi, what did I do this time?" Tadashi asked, putting his hands up defensively.

"This entire trip I've seen you everywhere. The entrance to Route 4, the Pokemon Center in Santalune City, back in Lumiose and now here. Are you stalking me or something?!" The girl snarled, demanding an answer.

Tadashi sighed and shook his head, taking out his pokedex and showing it to her.

"You have one of these right? From Professor Sycamore? Then it should be obvious to you that we BOTH just started our journey's. Nobody's following you, we just happen to meet up in the same places because we started out at the same freaking time. Get over yourself" Tadashi retorted.

"You've certainly got some nerve talking to me that way. Why don't we settle this with a battle. If you think you've got what it takes" the girl said with narrowed eyes, still visibly fuming that he was there.

"I gladly accept your challenge..." Tadashi stated, not wanting to hesitate considering how good he knows she is.

"Good, then it will be a four on four battle, since we both have four Pokemon. I've been itching for a challenge all day. None of these snot-nosed punks have been worth my time. Maybe another badge collector like yourself will give me more than a warmup" the girl said with a smirk.

"Why don't we just shut up and put our money where our mouth is hmm?" Tadashi stated, grabbing Ralts's pokeball and holding at the ready.

"Smart mouth...fine, let's do this then" the girl said as she held her pokeball ready as well.

"Ralts, get to it!" Tadashi called out, sending out his first Pokemon.

"Beedrill to battle!" The girl shouted, sending out her Pokemon from before.

"Ralts use disarming voice!" Tadashi called out.

"Beedrill, close in and use rage!" The girl commanded.

Beedrill's body lit up with crimson energy as it raced towards Ralts who let loose an alarming noise, halting Beedrill in its tracks. It took some damage but shook it off and stared back at Ralts.

"Ralts use double team!" Tadashi ordered.

"Close in quickly with rage!" The girl countered.

Before Ralts could begin the duplication process, she was rammed with Beedrill's stinger and sent flying across the ground.

"Hit it again with rage!" The girl demanded.

"Get up and use confusion!" Tadashi commanded, causing Ralts to leap back up.

Ralts's eyes glowed bright scarlet and halted Beedrill in its tracks. The overgrown bug was sent flying into the ground, skidding to a halt before rising up again, struggling a bit more due to the damage it took from the fall. A crimson aura now surrounded it, signaling that the rage was getting stronger.

"Hit it with twineedle!" The female trainer ordered.

Swiftly, Beedrill closed in before Tadashi even had time to react and give Ralts an order. The attack connected causing a purple aura to appear around Ralts, shocking it a little. She'd been poisoned.

"Ralts!" Tadashi called out to his struggling Pokemon who was taking poison damage at this point.

"End it with rage!" The girl demanded.

Beedrill shot forward and knocked Ralts back with even greater force than the previous rage, knocking her out.

"Ralts..." Tadashi sighed, taking out his pokeball to return her "you did great, get some rest" Tadashi said as he recalled Ralts.

"As I expected...you're good" Tadashi said as he glanced over at Fennekin.

Fennekin, getting the message, hopped off of his shoulder and assumed the battle position.

"Well you're right about that, I am good. It's nice of you to notice talent when you see it" the girl said with a smirk.

'She's really full of herself...' Tadashi thought to himself.

"Fennekin, why don't we try out something new?" Tadashi said with a grin.

'I don't like the sound of that...' The girl thought as she looked over at Fennekin.

'At this stage in the game it hasn't evolved yet...so there's only one thing he could be talking about...I'm not going to like this' the girl thought, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Fennekin, use flame charge!" Tadashi ordered.

Fennekin crouched low and began channeling energy through her body until she was able to push it outward. Her entire form enveloped itself in flames, searing the grass beneath her. She soon rushed forward with great speed and rammed straight into Beedrill, pinning the oversized bug to the ground.

"Now use ember!" Tadashi commanded.

Fennekin was already at close range and that was just an added bonus. She opened her mouth and let loose a blast of flames before jumping off of Beedrill. When the smoke cleared, Beedrill was seen knocked out.

"I had a feeling Beedrill was going to be out after that, not much I could have done there, though Beedrill was just weak after the battle with Ralts so you might say you got lucky" the girl smirked, returning her Pokemon to its ball.

"The advantage was mine, but whatever" Tadashi replied.

"Well, that may be true, but now this is where things get worse for you" the girl retorted.

"Frogadier, to battle!" The girl called out, sending forth her starter Pokemon.

'Great...hers evolved...' Tadashi thought, looking down at Fennekin who didn't like the looks of things either.

"Fennekin return" Tadashi stated, calling Fennekin back to her ball.

"Skiddo, you're up!" Tadashi said, calling forth his goat-like companion.

"Trying to get me with type advantage eh? Too bad for you it won't work..." the girl chuckled.

"We'll see about that, Skiddo use razor leaf!" Tadashi commanded.

"Dodge it and use quick attack!" Countered the girl.

Skiddo grounded itself and fired a barrage of sharp leaves Frogadier's way. The leaves were avoided with ease as the fast moving frog converged upon its opponent, knocking into it with devastating force, throwing Skiddo off balance.

"Turn and use your tongue to grab Skiddo and repel yourself towards it and use water pulse!" She commanded.

Frogadier's tongue shot out and wrapped around Skiddo's right front hoof. Frogadier soon propelled itself forwards, aquatic energy gathering in its palm as it prepared to strike a heavy blow to Skiddo.

"Skiddo, use vine whip!" Tadashi commanded.

Skiddo shot forth two vines, latching around Frogadier, stopping the frog in its tracks. The aquatic energy disappeared, leaving Frogadier in a very vulnerable position.

"Razor leaf!" Tadashi called out.

As Skiddo was about to fire a volley of leaves, it suddenly stopped and a golden energy sparked about its form.

"You're kidding..." Tadashi mumbled, catching sight of the delayed paralysis.

The vines that held Frogadier loosened up and that spelled trouble for Skiddo.

"Wrap this up with a quick attack followed by water pulse!" She ordered.

Frogadier charged in once more and slammed into Skiddo, sending it tumbling backwards. Fragadier powered up a water pulse and shot it towards Skiddo, the blast connecting with incredible force. Skiddo was knocked out and unable to continue.

'She was right...even though I had the type advantage, she still had control over the match...' Tadashi thought as he withdrew Skiddo.

"Beginning to know where you stand?" The girl mused, a playful smirk resting on her features as she delighted in the advantage she now had over him.

'I hate to think this way but she's got the edge. I've got two fire types...she's got Frogadier and two others to spare...' Tadashi thought as he reached for Fennekin's pokeball.

'But I'm not giving up...' Tadashi thought with a determined expression.

"Fennekin, let's go!" Tadashi stated, tossing out his companions ball.

"So it's the two starters now, too bad yours isn't evolved or you might stand more of a chance" the girl snickered.

"We may not have the advantage, but that doesn't mean we won't try..." Tadashi fired back.

"Well, I hate to say it but you're going to fail. Frogadier, use quick attack!" Commanded the girl.

Frogadier raced forward with intense speeds, knocking Fennekin back after catching her off guard.

Fennekin rose up and shook the damage off and glared at Frogadier.

"Fennekin, use flame charge!" Tadashi called out.

Fennekin raced forwards, collecting the flaming energy from her body and forming it around her body as she ran.

"Avoid it and hit her again with quick attack!" She countered.

Frogadier avoided the charge and once again swiftly rammed into Fennekin, knocking her over again. This time she struggled more to push herself up.

"I think it's time we put her to bed. Water pulse!" She called out to Frogadier.

Frogadier channeled aquatic energy through its body and gathered it between its palms, increasing the size of the pulse a little before firing it at Fennekin. Too weak to move, Fennekin took the blast full force but was unable to withstand it. The fog cleared and Fennekin was revealed knocked out.

"And that's two more down. Are you sure you don't want to quit now and save yourself the embarrassment?" The girl asked curiously, twirling a chocolate lock between her fingers.

"Fennekin..." Tadashi muttered with a concerned tone.

He sighed and returned her to her pokeball and took out Charmander's ball.

"Looks like it's up to you...go Charmander!" Tadashi called out, sending out his final partner.

"Another fire type eh? Too bad it's not going to cut it" the girl giggled gleefully, knowing she had this in the bag.

"Charmander may be a fire type, but I'm trusting him in this battle, even if he's going up against his weakness..." Tadashi stated firmly.

"Well, it's been a blast, but sadly you weren't a match for me. Let's end this, close in with quick attack and take out that Charmander with water pulse!" The girl ordered.

Frogadier closed in rather swiftly, however Tadashi didn't bother asking Charmander to move. As soon as Frogadier was close enough, Tadashi spoke up.

"Use ember now!" Tadashi ordered, getting a surprised look from the girl and Frogadier.

Charmander opened its mouth and fired a point blank ember at Frogadier, catching it off guard as the flames washed over it. Taken aback by the sudden assault, it was now time for Charmander to go on the assault.

"Hit it with scratch!" Tadashi commanded, watching as Charmander rushed forwards and scratched viciously at Frogadier.

"Now ember one more time!" Tadashi ordered.

"Dodge it Frogadier!" The girl demanded, but she wasn't fast enough.

Charmander already fired another ember and it was at close range again. Unable to avoid the hit, Frogadier was overwhelmed by the heat and fell over knocked out.

"Great job Charmander!" Tadashi cheered.

"Char char!" Charmander said happily.

"It seems like miracles do happen...though I'm going to have to put an end to your celebration. Wartortle let's go!" The girl fired her pokeball towards the battle field and as the ball opened the turtle pokemon appeared and glared at Charmander.

'That one's evolved too?!' Tadashi thought, an alarmed expression now on his features.

"Surprised? I take my training seriously, unlike other trainers and that means pushing my Pokemon to the absolute limit. Now it's time for you to witness the strength of my Pokemon once more. This is where the buck stops" the girl said with a smirk.

"We'll see about that, Charmander use ember!" Tadashi commanded.

"Wartortle, rapid spin!" She countered.

Charmander fired a powerful ember, however Wartortle sucked itself into its shell and began spinning like a top, repelling the embers with its shell.

"Now use water gun" the girl stated, watching as Wartortle popped out of its shell again and fired a blast of water Charmanders way.

The attack hit with incredible force, pushing Charmander over, causing it to skid along the ground. Charmander struggled to get up but was unable to.

"End it with bubble" the girl commanded.

Wartortle sucked in air and then fired a barrage of bubbles towards Charmander, the attack connecting with explosive force, knocking the lizard out. Tadashi had lost. Returning the fallen lizard to its pokeball, Tadashi looked down at his teammate.

"It's okay...you did great...rest up I'll fix you up soon..." Tadashi said with a sigh, clipping it back to his belt.

"As I thought, you were no match" the girl huffed in disappointment, returning Wartortle to his ball.

"Next time we fight...we'll see who comes out on top" Tadashi retorted heatedly.

"If you even make it to my level. Face it, if your Pokemon don't evolve, you won't be able to beat me" the girl snapped back.

She was right, Tadashi knew she was because of the outcome of the battle. She was on a completely different level than he was. He gave it his best shot but that wasn't enough. His team wasn't ready just yet. Sighing, he turned and walked towards the Pokemon Center. The girl followed him inside as well, considering she had two that she needed to tend to. After hers were healed she exited the center and proceeded to walk to the next route. Tadashi stayed and waited until all of his were healed. It would take a little longer since his were more injured.

While he waited, the doors to the Pokemon Center opened and the girl came back inside with an irritated expression.

"Stupid, ugly, fat, lazy...ugh!" She growled, turning towards Tadashi with a scowl on her face.

"This is your fault. Had you not arrived I wouldn't be stuck here" she growled.

"What do you mean?" Tadashi inquired with a frown, not liking how she was treating him.

"There's a Snorlax blocking the road dummy, we can't get to the next town!" The girl spit back.

"Oh...so that's what you're going on about" Tadashi mumbled, turning to see the nurse coming back out with his Pokemon all fixed up.

"Thank you" Tadashi stated politely, taking the balls and clipping them back under his belt, but not before releasing Fennekin so she could hop on his right shoulder.

"Well, how do you plan to fix this? Hmmm? As if running into you twice in Lumiose, literally if I might add, wasn't bad enough, now because you're here I'm stuck. If I weren't such a lady I'd nail you between the eyes!" She snarled.

"Okay, first off...this is your problem, not mine. I'll just find another way around to the next city" Tadashi shot back, getting up and walking towards the door.

"Idiot! There is no other way to the next city. That tub of lard is blocking the only way through!" She shouted.

"My Arceus you are loud..." Tadashi muttered.

"Anyway, look, why don't we see if we can find out how to wake that thing up so we can get to the next city? I don't want to spend anymore time here than I need to" Tadashi stated firmly.

"So you're saying we should work together on this? As if! Just because we both have the same issue doesn't mean I'm going to work with you to resolve it" She hissed.

"Suit yourself" Tadashi said as he exited.

"That little..." she grumbled, stalking out of the center after him.

"Fine, I'll help but under the condition that you agree to stay as far away from me as possible. I've had enough of seeing your face for one day" the girl snapped.

Tadashi rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Fine by me, now let's see here...why don't we start at that old castle looking place. There seems to be a lot of people gathering around it" Tadashi stated, earing an annoyed look from the girl.

The two walked over to what was called the Shabboneau Castle. It was an old looking place that seemed to be empty, save for a few artifacts and people of course. There was a man standing at the castle with a disgruntled look on his face.

"Please people, calm down. I can't do anything about the Snorlax, I don't have the Pokeflute!" The man shouted over the crowd.

"Pokeflute...now that's what we need" Tadashi smirked.

"So you do have a brain after all. With the way you battle I was beginning to wonder" the girl remarked.

"Gee, thanks for the compliment" Tadashi replied sarcastically.

"Well where is it?!" One of the crowd called out.

"Look, it's back at Parfum Palace. But going there is a waste of time because the owner of that place isn't going to give you the time of day. Just go back to whatever you were doing and in a few days Snorlax will be gone" the man assured, though his voice carried an annoyed tone.

The crowd grumbled as it dispersed, leaving Tadashi and the girl standing there. The man glanced at the two trainers curiously as they walked over to him.

"You said the flute is at Parfum Palace right? We'd be willing to go and get it" Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"Didn't you hear me? I said it was a waste of time and besides, they charge an entrance fee to get in. It's absurd" the man grumbled.

"You don't have to worry about that, we'll get in and get the flute. We need to get out of here and we can see there are some other trainers who need to do the same" Tadashi stated firmly.

The man glanced between the two trainers. They both looked like serious trainers and from the looks of things, they could handle themselves. A sigh escaped the mans lips as he conceded.

"Alright, Parfum Palace isn't too far from here. It's just through this route and up route six. But be prepared, the owner of the place is quite stuck up" the man grunted.

"He can't be any worse than her..." Tadashi muttered.

"What was that?!" The girl growled.

"Nothing, now let's get going" Tadashi stated as he began to walk off.

"Good luck, you'll need it" the man said as the two walked off.

"By the way...before we continue on I'd like to know your name" Tadashi said with a serious expression.

"Just because we're working together, doesn't mean I'm at liberty to tell you my name" the girl huffed, crossing her arms.

"But it would be an honor to know the name of such a great trainer" Tadashi stated sarcastically, flattering her at the same time.

Clearly flustered by his comment, she clenched her fists angrily before loosening up.

"Fine, it's Clarice Desiree" Clarice stated, her french accent now rolling off of her tongue a bit stronger than before. Tadashi hadn't noticed it much until then. It sounded kind of cute now that he thought of it.

"Clarice...that's a nice name. Mine's Tadashi Misao" Tadashi said as he extended his hand for her to shake.

She brushed it away and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't push your luck Tadashi. I didn't take your hand back then and I most certainly won't now. This doesn't change anything between us" Clarice scowled.

Tadashi shrugged and turned towards the route which led to the Parfum Palace, Clarice following beside him.

The two soon reached the gates only to be stopped by a man who appeared to be a butler.

"Hold it. The entrance fee is 1000 pokedollars" the butler said, getting an annoyed look from Tadashi.

"Really?" Tadashi grumbled, glancing at his backpack with a sigh. He didn't have much on him at the moment.

Clarice sighed and rummaged through her purse and pulled out a wad of cash.

"Here, 2000 pokedollars" she said as she held out the money. The butler took it and opened the gates.

Tadashi simply stared at Clarice. Had she actually done something nice?

"I know what you're thinking, and don't get used to it. I'm only doing this because the sooner we get this done, the sooner I'll be rid of you" Clarice grunted.

"Well, regardless...thanks" Tadashi said softly as the two walked into the Parfum Palace. As the two entered the palace, they came upon a rather interesting sight. A well dressed man was pacing around looking under chairs and other types of furniture for something, but what?

"Oh where could it be? Where are you my Furfrou?!" The man practically sobbed, biting the collar of his shirt before turning around to see Tadashi and Clarice.

"Uh...I'm beginning to think this guy needs some help..." Tadashi said quietly.

"Maybe he knows where the flute is..." Clarice said in reply, a little bewildered by the sight of the man.

"Are you two trainers? Oh please you must help me. My poor, poor Furfrou is lost. I can't find him anywhere" the man said dispairingly.

"So you lost your Pokemon? Where did you last see it?" Tadashi inquired.

"He was in this room last I checked, but then he suddenly barged out and ran into the garden. I looked and looked but I couldn't find him, and now I'm back here thinking that just maybe he came back" the man sniveled.

"We're in a bit of a rush at the moment sir, we don't have time to go looking for your Pokemon" Clarice piped up.

"Oh please, I'll reward you, anything you want just name it!" The man begged.

Clarice blinked and turned to Tadashi in confusion.

"Can I hurt him?" Clarice asked, looking down at the man who was now holding onto her leg.

"No...but I think I know what he can give us. Sir, if we help you, you'll give us whatever we want right?" Tadashi asked for clarification.

"Yes, just name it" the man said with a hopeful look.

"Okay, all we want is the Pokeflute and then we'll be out of here, deal?" Tadashi said with a smirk.

"It's a deal, I can't play the darn thing anyway" the man said as he showed them to the garden area.

On the wall was a picture of the very same man with a plaque underneath that said 'owner of the Parfum Palace.' A smirk crossed Tadashi's features as he knew he'd gotten lucky. Even Clarice seemed to be pleased with how things turned out.

"Now...if I were a Furfrou...where would I hide? It looks like we're going to have to split up to find this thing" Tadashi said as he looked around for any clues as to the Pokemon's whereabouts.

"That's the second good idea you've had so far, you're on a roll aren't you?" Clarice snickered sarcastically.

"Uh...er...just take the compliment..." Tadashi muttered to himself.

The two soon parted ways in the garden to look for the lost Furfrou. After speaking with several individuals who were working in the garden, the two managed to get an idea of where it was. Eventually the two met up in the same spot and began swapping data.

"According to what everyone's been saying, Furfrou ran out in a panicked state and began wreaking havoc, tipping over tables and kicking up dirt and plants. This must have been some time ago as the evidence is gone" Tadashi said as he glanced towards the area that Furfrou was said to be seen last.

"Right...and before that he darted through the halls and nearly broke a few artifacts. It sounds as though he was trying to get away from something...or someone..." Clarice thought with an irritated expression.

"So that means that it can't have gone too far..." Tadashi said as he turned to Fennekin who was now coming up behind him.

"Find anything?" Tadashi asked curiously.

Fennekin shook her head and jumped back onto his shoulder. At that point they heard a rustling in the bushes near them and as luck would have it, Furfrou popped his head out of the bush and looked around to see if the coast was clear.

Tadashi and Clarice made eye contact with it, causing Furfrou to run.

"Well, we found it, now we need to trap it..." Tadashi said as he took out a pokeball.

"I know just the way to do it, Skiddo, let's go" Tadashi called out, sending out the goat-like Pokemon.

"How is that going to work?" Clarice inquired, wondering how sending out Skiddo would help in any way.

"Skiddo can blend in with the bushes...Furfrou won't see him...that's how we trap him" Tadashi said as he looked at Skiddo.

"Okay, see that bush over there? Go hide inside of it and we'll lure Furfrou to you. As soon as you see him use vine whip to grab hold" Tadashi ordered, getting an affirmative nod from Skiddo.

Skiddo darted and jumped into one of the bushes and hid his face, leaving his bushy green exterior showing. It was the perfect cover. Tadashi then turned to Fennekin and glanced over where Skiddo was hiding.

"You stay with Skiddo, this way we can see where he is. We don't want to run by the wrong bush" Tadashi instructed as Fennekin jumped in the bush near Skiddo, sticking the tip of her tail out as a marker.

With the trap in place, Tadashi and Clarice went in the direction Furfrou ran off to. It didn't take them too long to find him since he stuck out so easily in the area they were searching. Spotting the trainers, Furfrou took off once more, only it wasn't heading in the direction of safety. As planned, Furfrou was being chased right into the trap. Furfrou was now in sight and Skiddo shot out a vine whip and caught the dog Pokemon by the ankles and tripped him up. Fennekin hopped out of the bush and simply sat on Furfrou, yipping happily as Tadashi and Clarice came by.

"Good work Skiddo, you two Fennekin" Tadashi said with a smirk.

"My Furfrou!" The owner's voice rang out as he made his way towards the two trainers.

Tadashi returned Skiddo to his pokeball, allowing Furfrou to stand up.

"Oh my Furfrou, I thought you were gone forever!" The owner cried happily.

"You two did a fantastic job. Oh this calls for fireworks, I insist" the owner said enthusiastically, walking towards the palace with Furfrou in tow.

"Well...it's a bit early for fireworks but I guess it's alright..." Tadashi mumbled.

"After what we went through to find that thing I guess a little extra reward doesn't hurt" Clarice huffed.

"But, we're still heading our own way once we get the flute. Don't forget that Tadashi" Clarice said as the two walked back towards the Parfum Palace.

"Right, right, I know" Tadashi sighed, shaking his head.

"Fen?" Fennekin piped up, tilting her head slightly at Clarice's actions.

"I don't understand her either partner" Tadashi grimaced, getting another glare from Clarice.

"Not like I want you to understand me anyway, I just want to get this over with" Clarice snapped.

The two soon made it to the appointed location where the fireworks would be set off. It was getting to be evening which surprised the two since they didn't think they'd been out there for that long. The sun was beginning to set.

Tadashi stood and looked over the ledge as the owner of the palace set up the fireworks. Clarice stood a good distance behind him, leaning against a pillar. Soon the show started and the fireworks began to dazzle the evening skies. Tadashi and Clarice had to admit, it was pretty freaking awesome. After the show, the butler from before came baring the flute.

"The owner had to run off for a bit so he asked me to give you this as a token of his gratitude" the butler said, handing Tadashi the flute.

"Thanks, we'll be on our way now" Tadashi said with a smile.

"Tell the owner we said thank you for the fireworks" Tadashi said as he went back through the palace, Clarice following him. The two made it to the gate and headed back down the route as the sun began to set even more. It would be a few hours before it got dark. Ambrette town wasn't too far from where they were and they could make it easily.

The two made it back into town and passed the Shabboneau Castle.

"I see you got the flute" the man from before said as he came out after closing up the castle.

"Yep, it was a little bit of a hassle but we managed" Tadashi said, glancing over at Clarice who seemed eager to get it over and done with.

"Well, good for you. Here, I'll take it and we can go wake up Snorlax for you whle there's still some light left" the man said as he took the flute from Tadashi.

The three walked to route 7 together and stopped right in front of the sleeping mountain that was Snorlax. The man sighed softly and then brought the flute to his lips and began to play it. The Snorlax soon awoke, although in a very unpleasent mood. It grumbled and walked off towards another location because all it wanted to do was park itself and sleep.

"Well, that's that. You two had best be on your way. There's no telling when he'll come back" the man said as he turned to walk off.

"Thanks sir" Tadashi called out, getting a wave from the man.

With the problem solved, Clarice and Tadashi were now able to get to the next city. As per their terms, Tadashi agreed to let Clarice get a headstart on the trail. The two didn't say much to each other after parting. After about a half an hour, Tadashi started down the trail himself. He had an eventful day and was looking forward to what the next town had to offer him.

_**And thus marks the end of chapter four! So, how was the trip? Enjoying the banter between Clarice and Tadashi? Was it a fun read? Let me know in the reviews while I work on the next chapter. I hope you're all enjoying it so far! **_


	5. Chapter 5

**Good Afternoon everyone! I hope you're all enjoying your journey alongside Tadashi and his Pokemon. This is the part of the story where things get interesting. I hope you all are ready because I certainly am. I think it's about time we heat things up. Strap yourselves in and get ready to ride! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo! **

**Chapter 5: A Heated Encounter! **

Tadashi awoke in a bed inside the Ambrette Town Pokemon Center. His mind was racing with the previous day's events, especially the battle with Clarice. Her Frogadier was incredibly powerful and lightning quick. In no time at all it had taken down two of his Pokemon, one of which had the type advantage. Just when Tadashi thought he was out of the woods, she sent in a Wartortle for cleanup duty. She was good, too good. Tadashi sighed as he pulled himself out of bed and stepped onto the floor.

Fennekin woke up at the sound of him stirring and opened her weary eyes. She glanced over at Tadashi with a tired yet happy expression. Charmander and Ralts were sleeping on the floor alongside Skiddo as well. Prior to arriving the night prior, they'd all had a few battles along the way. Tadashi was certain that one of them was bound to evolve at some point. He just wasn't sure when that would be.

Fennekin hopped off the bed and yipped for her companions to wake up. Charmander and Ralts were the first to awake, followed by Skiddo who groggily got up and looked around.

"Good morning all, I take it you all slept well?" Tadashi inquired, getting an excited yip from Fennekin who hopped onto his shoulder and nuzzled his face.

"I guess that answers that" Tadashi laughed, scratching behind her ears.

"Okay you three, let's get out of here, I want to take a look at the Fossil Lab, maybe I can get something good there" Tadashi chuckled, returning his other three Pokemon to their pokeballs.

Tadashi stepped out of the center with a stretch and a yawn. He couldn't help but be excited about how far he'd come. He was miles from home but he didn't mind so much. Sure he missed his mother's cooking and would have to eat at the Pokemon Centers but that was okay right?

He glanced behind him to see a rather large Aquarium which was what the town was mainly known for, that is until the addition of the Fossil Lab when it was discovered that fossils were around. Thinking he'd visit that later, he made the trek down to the Fossil Lab. As he made his way inside he was surprised, not at what he'd found but who he found.

Clarice was standing in the lab admiring the Fossils. Tadashi either had bad luck or she hadn't left for Cylage City to get her next badge on purpose. Either way, he prepared himself for their encounter. Her eyes darted to the door and of course her eyes would narrow at the sight of him.

"After all we did yesterday...you have the nerve to show up in front of me?" Clarice growled, clenching her fists in anger.

'And there it is...' Tadashi thought as he stared her down.

"Well?" Clarice persisted.

"Hey, how was I supposed to know that you were going to be here? I even gave you a half an hour head start before I started walking...I thought you would have kept on going" Tadashi grumbled.

"Didn't it occur to you that I might want to see the Fossils and the Aquarium? Come on, how daft can you be?!" Clarice raised her voice.

Tadashi glanced around at some of the scientists who were caught up in their work. Some of them gave the two confused looks while others simply ignored them.

"Maybe I wanted to do the same. I'm on the same journey as you are" Tadashi shot back.

"Ho? Don't you dare compare me to you Tadashi. You and I are not on the same level and we never will be. The one who will become a Master and make their way to the top is me. So I ask that you not get in my way or so help me Arceus..." Clarice paused, her eyes shifting towards one of the scientists who was staring at them.

"What?!" She snarled, prompting the scientist to turn away, sweat-dropping.

"Look, you and I both know that Sycamore gave us the same task. You have a megastone too don't you? We're both after the same thing but for different reasons. It's not the end of the world if we bump into each other once in a while" Tadashi replied curtly.

"It'll be the end of you if you don't quit bugging me..." Clarice growled.

Tadashi rolled his eyes and turned around, only to see a scientist directly behind him.

"I couldn't help but overhear the two of you talking about stones and that you were researching them for Professor Sycamore" the scientist said with a smile on his face.

"Uh...yeah, we were talking about megastones, do you know about them?" Tadashi inquired, hoping for some answers.

"Hmmm, I can't say that I do. Sycamore mentioned them but it has nothing to do with Fossils...or does it?" The scientist said as he turned around to think.

"Well, if you don't know anything, perhaps I should just look around and then get going" Tadashi said as he walked over to some of the fossils that were being examined.

"Hmm, perhaps one of our team members in the Glittering Cave knows something. But he hasn't been back for hours it seems. We can't go check on him due to our busy schedule but maybe you two can?" The scientist inquired.

Tadashi looked over at Clarice who shot him a glare and then looked away.

"I'll go look. I have some time to kill so I'll help you guys out. I need to find as much information on Mega Evolution as possible" Tadashi explained, heading out of the Fossil Lab towards the path to Glittering Cave.

Tadashi was surprised to find a few Rhyhorns sitting nearby. They each had a saddle and were looking at him. There was someone sitting near them as well, tending to one of the Rhyhorns with a type of spray. Perhaps it was a potion.

"Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to Glittering Cave?" Tadashi inquired of the man near the Rhyhorns.

"Oh, you must be new here. Glittering Cave is just up that way but you need to take a Rhyhorn to get you through the rough terrain. It's not safe to go without one" the man explained.

"I see, thanks for the info" Tadashi said as he walked over to one of the Rhyhorns and saddled up.

"Wait up!" A familiar voice called out, prompting Tadashi to turn around. It was Clarice.

"Finally decided to come along have you?" Tadashi said with a smirk.

"Hardly, I was told I could get a fossil and a revived Pokemon out of this so I'm not in it to help you" Clarice huffed, getting onto a Rhyhorn and heading out.

Tadashi shook his head and headed out on his Rhyhorn as well. The terrain was rather rough, but after a while they managed to get to the Glittering Cave and leave their rides outside.

"Now, let's find this scientist so I can get my Fossil" Clarice stated, walking past Tadashi into the Glittering Cave.

Tadashi followed suit and soon the two were searching around for any sign of the scientist. Tadashi and Clarice came to a point where there were two pathways. Not knowing which one to take they both decided to split up and look around. As Tadashi searched, he couldn't help but feel as though he were being watched. Tadashi glanced around as he thought he'd heard a sound.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a hard bone flew towards Fennekin. The little fox sensed it coming luckily and evaded the oncoming assault. Tadashi whirled around to see a Cubone standing before him.

Normally Cubone don't confront others, but this one seemed hostile for some reason. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was off about this place now that he thought about it. Ever since he'd arrived he'd been getting a strange feeling that something was wrong. A Cubone attacking for no reason confirmed it.

Tadashi reached into his belt loop and pulled out Skiddo's pokeball.

"Okay Cubone...you wanna play it like that? Fine. Skiddo, let's get to it!" Tadashi called out, flinging Skiddo's pokeball onto the field.

The bush bodied goat hopped onto the field and stared down Cubone with a determined expression.

"Cubone! Cuuuuubone!" Cubone cried out, hurling its bone towards Skiddo.

"Dodge it and use vine whip!" Tadashi commanded.

The bone came back to Cubone and he caught it after it missed its target. Skiddo shot vines towards Cubone who, to Tadashi and Skiddo's surprise, stuck out its club and evaded the vines so that they'd wrap around the club. With a mighty swing Cubone dragged Skiddo across the floor and hurled him into a rock. Skiddo got up and retracted his vines and growled at the Cubone.

"Shake it off Skiddo, charge in and use razor leaf at a close range!" Tadashi commanded. The leaves on Skiddo's body began to shine brightly before shooting off, however this still did not deter the Cubone.

Cubone spun its club around, knocking leaves away as they neared him. Skiddo sweat-dropped at this display. Tadashi on the other hand was excited.

"Oh I've gotta catch you now" Tadashi smirked.

"Skiddo, close in on it once more and aim vine whip for its feet!" Tadashi ordered.

Skiddo took off and as per instruction, sent forth more vines and managed to tangle the Cubone in them. Cubone wasn't quick enough to dodge them which spelled trouble for it.

"Fling it in the air!" Tadashi called out.

Skiddo did as he was told and launched Cubone into the cave's ceiling. Skiddo soon brought Cubone crashing to the ground, weakening the Pokemon considerably. Tadashi took out a pokeball and launched it at Cubone, hitting his mark. The ball absorbed Cubone and began twitching wildly. The tension in the air was thick enough that one could cut it with a knife. After a few more twitches the ball came to a halt, signaling that Cubone had been caught.

"Score!" Tadashi exclaimed victoriously.

He picked up the pokeball and let Cubone out to meet him, now as his new partner. Cubone appeared and looked up at Tadashi with a confused expression.

"Hey Cubone, welcome to the family" Tadashi chuckled, causing Cubone's head to tilt to the side.

Fennekin wandered up to Cubone and began scolding him for throwing the bone at her. Cubone lowered its head and tears began to well up in his eyes. Seeing this, Fennekin began to quickly console him so he wouldn't cry. Every Pokemon knew how awful it was to hear one of them cry. With a relieved sigh, Fennekin calmed Cubone down.

"So Cubone, how come you attacked us back there?" Tadashi inquired.

Cubone narrowed its eyes and pointed his bone in a different direction.

"You want us to go down there?" Tadashi inquired, getting a nod from Cubone.

"Alright, lead the way Cubone" Tadashi commanded as Cubone began leading them to where they needed to go.

Cubone led them to an opening in the cave and from within he could hear the sounds of a battle going on. But who would be battling in here? Tadashi ran inside, Cubone and Fennekin on his tail. When he reached where he heard the sounds, he was surprised to see Clarice in a fight against a few people wearing red suits. They had matching sunglasses as well. Both of the opponents she was fighting had a Houndour. Something wasn't right however.

"You're getting in our way little girl, didn't anyone ever teach you not to play with fire? Or is that a foreign concept to you?" One of the men in red commented, turning to his comrade with a grin.

"No, because I know how to put out the fire" Clarice fired back, holding up two pokeballs which held Frogadier and Wartortle in them.

"Frogadier, Wartortle, battle stations!" Clarice said as she summoned her Pokemon.

The two water types leapt forwards and assumed a battle stance. The two suited men seemed a bit unnerved at the appearance of water types. Still they remained unmoved as if they knew something she didn't.

"Houndour, ember!" A few voices from behind the two men called out as several blasts of fire shot towards Clarice's location.

'So there were more of them...' Tadashi thought as he watched Clarice and her Pokemon nearly get toasted, had it not been for Wartortle using rapid spin just before the attacks connected.

"So you all decide to gang up on me instead of taking me one at a time eh? Such a cowardly tactic..." Clarice spat.

"We do what we have to in order to win little girl" A female voice stated, prompting Clarice to turn towards the voice.

"Does that include poor fashion sense? Because if so, there isn't much hope for you" Clarice grinned.

"H...how dare you insult my uniform! Team Flare is very fashionable!" The woman snarled.

"Fashionably impaired you mean..." Clarice snickered.

'And this is why I don't understand some girls...however...I think that woman will need an ice pack for those burns...' Tadashi thought with a smirk.

"Oi, Clarice, you're having a party and you didn't invite me? I'm offended" Tadashi said, feining annoyance.

"Oh great, now you're here. Why don't we just invite all the idiots?" Clarice grumbled.

"Sheesh, lighten up, I was just trying to joke around with you" Tadashi mumbled, walking up beside her with Fennekin and the new addition, Cubone.

"You caught a Cubone? You wandered off for a Cubone?" Clarice stated, clearly annoyed at the little ground type's presence.

"More like he found me, now how about we get down to business. It looks like these guys are gonna give us trouble...we need to locate that scientist" Tadashi stated, unaware that said scientist was trying to sneak away unseen.

"You! Hold it right there!" One of the red suited men said as he turned to his Houndour.

"Pursue him!" The man commanded, watching as the hell hound ran towards the scientist, sending him into a panic, causing him to nearly drop the fossils he'd collected.

"Cubone, use bonemerang!" Tadashi called out, prompting the Cubone to fling its bone towards the Houndour.

The bone connected with the hell hound and caused it to slump over as the bone had connected with the back of its head.

'One hit huh? Maybe catching that Cubone was a good idea on his part after all...wait a second, am I complimenting him? Ugh...I'm going to have to clear my mind after this...' Clarice thought as the bone returned to Cubone.

The Houndour was returned to his pokeball and another one took its place. The scientist was in a bit of a daze and knew he wouldn't get very far. He was exhausted after all his work in the cave.

"We need to hurry up and get out of here...we found the scientist and now we need to go...but we can't with them in the way..." Tadashi mumbled to himself as he glanced towards the people that called themselves Team Flare. There were about six of them which weren't very good odds for Tadashi and Clarice.

"I think it's time we put these children to bed" one of Team Flare said with a grin.

Cubone and Fennekin jumped in front of Tadashi, joined by Wartortle and Frogadier.

"Houndour, ember!" They all called out, sending bursts of fire their way.

"Cubone, defend with your club, Fennekin use your own ember to counter!" Tadashi commanded.

"Wartortle, Frogadier, water pulse now!" Clarice commanded.

Cubone spun its club around swiftly, deterring the flames away from his trainer and acquaintance. Fennekin fired an ember of her own, dispelling the other flames. Wartortle and Frogadier both fired a water pulse towards the oncoming flames, their power bursting through the flames and knocking the Houndours out with devastating force.

"Fennekin, give Cubone a light" Tadashi said with a smirk.

Blinking in confusion, she looked at Cubone for clarification. Tadashi pointed to the club in Cubone's hand. Getting the picture, Fennekin lit the top of the bone creating a bone torch.

"Cubone, use bonemerang!" Tadashi ordered.

Releasing the bone, Cubone aimed it straight for the other Houndour who were struck hard and fell over due to the super effective damage they took from the ground type move and the extra damage from the fire on top of it. The bone returned to Cubone who caught it. The fire had gone out by then and the bone was unharmed.

"Good work Cubone!" Tadashi said enthusiastically.

"To think that our plans to excavate fossils was thwarted by a couple of children" a voice from behind them said, causing the scientist to back up near the two.

A man wearing an all white suit with a bald head and crimson glasses like the others was standing at the exit. By his side was a Houndoom however it had a stone hung around its neck.

Tadashi's eyes went wide as he recognized the stone which spelled bad news if what he thought was about to happen was correct.

The man held up his fist and a ring on his hand began to glow brightly. The stone on the Houndoom began to glow as well and soon it was engulfed in light. Houndoom's size increased and his appearance changed drastically. Power radiated from the beast as a crimson aura outlined its body.

"That's...Mega Evolution..." Tadashi gasped, staggering back, Clarice and the scientist doing the same.

"So you know of it. Perfect...to commemorate your findings I will bathe your bodies in fire. Your cries will be the signal flare that sets off the flames of revolution! Our will shall not be denied!" The man said as he pointed at them.

"Houndoom, Fire Blast!" The man ordered.

Houndoom reared its head back and fired a massive burst of flames towards the group. Just as they were about to be fried, a Kadabra suddenly appeared beside them along with a trainer. The Kadabra linked its psychic energies to the group and teleported out swiftly. The fire blast caused an explosion behind the Team Flare members who had ducked out of the way.

The fire began to spread wildly which prompted the members of Team Flare to exit the premesis swiftly. The man returned the Houndoom to his pokeball and turned tail and headed out. Meanwhile, the gang found themselves in front of the Pokemon Center in Ambrette Town. Tadashi and Clarice glanced over to see another trainer with the Kadabra.

"You three are lucky you know..." The trainer spoke up, turning to face them.

He had light brown eyes and jet black hair that was mid length. He wore a blue and white striped polo with red cargo shorts and white sneakers.

"And who might you be?" Clarice said with an annoyed tone.

"My name's Victor Montague" Victor said as he introduced himself.

"I'm Tadashi...this is Clarice" Tadashi said, getting an irritated huff from Clarice

"If I wanted you to introduce me I would have asked" Clarice growled.

Victor quirked a brow and then looked at Tadashi for an explanation.

"Is she your...you know?" Victor questioned.

"Arceus NO!" Clarice said furiously, catching wind of exactly what Victor was trying to ask.

"She's right, we're merely acquaintances. And that's where it stops" Tadashi mumbled.

"That's right, it's nice that we can finally agree on something" Clarice shot back.

Victor sighed and turned around to walk into the Pokemon Center.

"You two fight like you're a couple" Victor stated, practically feeling the daggers Clarice was staring at him.

"Oh yeah, by the way Victor...how did you find us in there? More importantly, why are you here?" Tadashi asked, catching Victor before he walked into the center.

"I was at the Fossil Lab when someone mentioned something about two trainers heading towards Glittering Cave. I decided to check it out for myself but when I got to where the Rhyhorns were supposed to be, they were all in bad condition and the man in charge of them was injured. That's when he told me that someone with a Houndoom was on the loose and headed straight for the cave. Putting two and two together I realized that it was none other than Team Flare by the way the man described the man with the Houndoom. He was accompanied by two other men with red suits and Houndours. I had Kadabra figure out where you two were and well, you get the rest..." Victor said with a smirk.

Victor glanced up at Tadashi and then to the Fennekin that had climbed onto his shoulder.

"Heh...it looks like I finally ran into you two" Victor laughed, taking out a pokeball and tossing it on the ground.

A rather round spiny Pokemon came out of it. It was Quilladin, Chespin's evolved form.

"So you're the other trainer huh?" Tadashi chuckled, turning to Fennekin who was growling at Victor.

"Hey, be nice Fennekin, he helped us out back there" Tadashi said sternly.

"And that's why I didn't take Fennekin..." Victor muttered, earning a raised brow from Tadashi.

"I originally wanted her but she kinda set my pants on fire...so I went with Chespin instead" Victor laughed nervously.

"I'm surprised she even lets you hold her, any other male and she would have them rolling in the dirt trying to get the fire out" Victor said with a confused expression.

"It's a long story...I'll tell you about it later but first, we should probably get the scientist back to the la...aaaaand he's gone" Tadashi said flatly.

"He left five minutes ago to go to the lab...he better give me my fossil" Clarice grumbled as she walked towards the lab.

"I guess I should go after her before she kills someone..." Tadashi mumbled, turning to Victor one more time.

"Perhaps we'll meet again eh?" Tadashi asked, getting a smile from Victor.

"If I run into you two I'll be sure to tag along if we see each other again. Right now I'm a solo act" Victor said with a smirk.

"Right, well, feel free to join me any time and if Clarice is around the three of us can journey together" Tadashi said as he walked towards the Lab.

"Yeah...maybe.." Victor said silently.

Tadashi and Clarice walked back into the Fossil Lab and found the scientist that had been rescued waiting for them.

"Thank you so much!" The scientist said enthusiastically, walking over to shake their hands.

"You two kept them from getting the fossils I had found. These are two of the newest fossils. You two can pick whichever one you want" the scientist said happily.

"I think I'll take this one" Clarice said as she picked up one of the fossils.

"Ah, that's the sail fossil. A great choice!" The scientist sang, turning and handing Tadsahi the other fossil.

"This is the jaw fossil. Now, how about we get these revived for you?" The scientist inquired, prompting both of the trainers to hand him the fossils back.

"Come back in one hour and I will have your new Pokemon ready for you" the scientist said as he took the fossils to the back room.

"I guess we wait... I don't know about you, but I'm starving" Tadashi said as he turned to exit.

"Well, you can go eat then. I'm staying here until my fossil is ready" Clarice stated firmly.

"Suit yourself" Tadashi said as he walked out of the lab towards the Pokemon Center.

Stepping into the dining area, Tadashi picked up a menu and looked at the options. There were plenty of pasta options for him to choose from which was excellent. He decided to place an order for a plate of cheese ravioli with red sauce. As he ordered, the doors to the center opened and in walked Clarice who sat several tables away from him.

Tadashi glanced in her direction only to get a heated glare in return.

"What? It's taking forever. And besides, I need to eat too" she said as she picked up a menu to order.

After receiving their food they slowly consumed each delicious bite. Tadashi glanced at what she'd ordered, only to find her plate identical to his. He simply brushed it off as coincidence as it was a popular dish. After finishing their meals, they both got up and walked out of the center. Victor was just lounging in the corner, taking his time with his meal. He was highly amused by Tadashi and Clarice.

The two made their way down to the lab and soon confronted the scientist.

"It took a lot of work but here are your new Pokemon" the scientist said gleefully, handing the two their Pokemon.

Tadashi tossed the ball onto the floor and watched as a light erupted from the ball to reveal a small bi-pedal dinosaur-like Pokemon. It had a rather large head, small arms and thick legs. It was likened to that of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Tadashi took out his pokedex and aimed it at the creature.

"Tyrunt, the Royal Heir Pokemon. If something happens that it doesn't like, it will throw a tantrum and run wild. It's jaws have enough destructive force to chew up an automobile" the Pokedex stated.

"Well, I guess I'd better be careful not to upset you huh partner?" Tadashi said as he knelt down to greet his new teammate.

Clarice threw down her pokeball and revealed what looked to be a brontosauraus only smaller in size. Tadashi pointed his pokedex at it as well.

"Amaura, the Tundra Pokemon. This Pokemon lived in a cold land where there were no violent predators like Tyrantrum" The pokedex said plainly.

'Well this fits perfectly...' Tadashi thought as he turned to Tyrunt who tilted his head slightly.

"Well Tyrunt, welcome to the family. I'm glad to have you on my team" Tadashi said as he knelt down and placed a hand on the muzzle of the dragon/rock type.

Tyrunt nodded, showing it understood Tadashi. After a few moments, Tadashi returned Tyrunt to his pokeball. Clarice did the same with her new Pokemon.

"Well, we'd best be off. Thank you for the new Pokemon!" Tadashi said excitedly, wondering just what Tyrunt was capable of.

"I suppose this was well worth the trouble, even if it meant tagging around with you" Clarice said with a grimace.

"We're never going to get along are we?" Tadashi mumbled.

"Maybe when Tepigs fly" Clarice smirked, walking out of the lab leaving Tadashi to follow.

"I swear to Arceus she gets on my nerves..." Tadashi grumbled, making his way out of the lab.

The day was starting to come to a close and he wanted to get to Cylage City which didn't look like it was going to take very long. A new challenge awaited him there and he was eager to take it on.

He still couldn't shake the thought of that Mega Houndoom. And what did that man mean by 'the flames of revolution?' It was all too much for him to process at the moment. Shaking the thought from the forefront of his mind he made his way back to the Pokemon Center to heal up. He then stocked up on potions and antidotes of all sorts. He would need them should there be no Pokemon Center in sight later on.

He didn't see any signs of Victor or Clarice. Victor was long gone by now and Clarice was probably nearly to Cylage City as it wasn't that far. Deciding to take his time, he began to walk the route to Cylage City in hopes of facing the next Gym Leader.

**_And so ends another exciting chapter. So, what did you all think of the encounter in Glittering Cave? I decided on giving the Admin a mega mainly because the Admins in the game were pathetic and needed an improvement. I thought it added quite nicely to the story. I don't want to make it too easy for Tadashi do I? Let me know what you think in the review section! Until next time, and by next time I mean real soon!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Aloha friends! What? I told you soon didn't I? Some of you who read these are probably sleeping, then again I have no idea what timezone everyone is in. It feels so strange to be 6 hours behind people now. Anywho, how did you all like the fifth chapter? The long awaited arrival of Team Flare came and went and it will come again, muahahahaha! Ahem...anyway, my silly rambling aside, let's get this show on the road shall we? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its content and characters are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 6: Climbing to Victory!**

Tadashi found himself in a battle against a girl in a blue swimsuit. The girl had long blond locks that stopped at her shoulders. Her eyes were sky blue and her skin was a golden tan due to her being in the sun for quite some time. She was commanding a very strong Masquerain. So far it had knocked out Ralts, Fennekin, and Skiddo. The girl was almost as good as Clarice which was surprising. The girl did mention that she had encountered Clarice only to be stomped flat rather quickly.

Tadashi needed to do something here as he was running out of options. He still had Charmander, Tyrunt and Cubone as well. The problem was that it knew Scald, which was super effective towards the remaining three which would explain how Fennekin lost like it did.

"Well kid, are you gonna quit or are you gonna keep at it?" The girl inquired, placing a hand on her hip, cocking it out as she waited for his reply.

'There has to be something I can do...' Tadashi thought as he looked at Charmander's ball.

'She's gonna use scald...but maybe I can get around that...somehow...' Tadashi said as he decided to risk it.

"Charmander, you're up!" Tadashi called out, summoning his companion.

Charmander popped out of the ball and assumed the battle position, ready for a fight.

"A Charmander huh? This should be interesting, too bad Masquerain is too strong for it" the girl said with a wink.

Tadashi simply shook his head and stared at the girl defiantly.

"That Masquerain is tough, but I know Charmander can win" Tadashi said with a grin.

"Let's test that theory shall we?" The girl giggled, turning to her Masquerain who rose into the air.

"Masquerain, fly in with quick attack and then hit it with scald!" The girl commanded.

"Charmander dodge it and use ember!" Tadashi ordered.

Charmander moved to dodge the attack but was clipped by Masquerain's left wing, tripping him, causing him to fall on his face.

Masquerain turned around and fired a powerful scald attack at Charmander who was sent flying backwards from the blast.

Charmander struggled to get up, barely managing to stand. He knew this Masquerain was strong. And in order for him to defeat something as strong as his opponent, he needed to get stronger. Charmander narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, shooting an intense flame from it as his body was incased in a bright white light.

"Whoa!" Tadashi said as he watched Charmander begin to evolve.

When the light died down, a much taller lizard with red scales and a cream underbelly appeared. Its claws were much more pronounced on its hands and feet. Charmander had become Charmeleon. Tadashi smirked as he looked at his newly evolved friend.

"Finally..." Tadashi said with a smirk. He turned towards the female trainer with a stern expression.

"Now the fight really begins" Tadashi stated.

Charmeleon stood up and glared at Masquerain, awaiting orders from Tadashi.

"Charmander may have evolved, but it will take a lot more than that to be able to compete with Masquerain. If you don't believe me, let me show you! Masquerain, scald now!" The girl commanded.

Masquerain let loose another powerful scald, aiming to damage Charmeleon further.

"Dodge it and blast it with ember!" Tadashi countered.

Charmeleon evaded the scald, watching as the ground sizzled from the impact. He then turned around and fired a strong ember towards Masquerain, the blast carrying more intensity to it than previous attacks due to having evolved.

"Don't let that hit you! Move away and close in with quick attack and end it with another scald!" The girl cried out.

Masquerain evaded the ember and rushed in swiftly, steam and water building up in its mouth as it closed in on Charmeleon.

"Dragon rage..." Tadashi commanded, catching the female trainer off guard.

'Wait...did he want me to get that close? There's no time to dodge!' She panicked in her mind.

Charmeleon reared back and swiftly unleased a powerful blast of orange energy into Masquerain's face. The explosion sent the Pokemon flying into the ground, knocked out for the count.

"Awesome Charmeleon!" Tadashi exclaimed.

"Char! Charmeleon!" Charmeleon piped up excitedly.

"Masquerain return" the girl said with a soft sigh.

"That was one heck of a turn around. I wasn't expecting to see an evolution in the middle of a battle. Good thing I stuck around huh? By the way, the name's Madeline, and from what I recall...that girl said your name was Tadashi. The only reason I know this is because she told me that if I ever see a dirty blond, green eyed boy, to tell him to stay away from her or you'll face her wrath...or something like that..." Madeline said with a nervous laugh.

"That sounds like Clarice alright..." Tadashi mumbled.

"So her name is Clarice...the name really doesn't fit due to its meaning...but anyway that's neither here nor there..." Madeline said with a faint smile.

"Yeah...she is a bit of a pain. But luckily she's probably already done with the Gym by now which means I'll be able to battle in peace" Tadashi said with a chuckle, returning Charmeleon to his ball.

"Hopefully that will be the case. Anyway, you probably should get going. I know I need to as well, it's getting late" Madeline said as she made her way towards Cyllage City.

"That was some battle you put on Tadashi" a familiar voice from behind said, causing Tadashi to turn around in surprise.

"Victor? I thought you would be long gone by now" Tadashi said with a bewildered expression.

"Well, I did too, but after the Gym Leader and I battled I decided to stick around for a while. Oh, and your girlfriend is still at the Gym, probably mopping the floor with Grant now" Victor chuckled.

"We're not dating...if anything she's like an annoying older sister" Tadashi grumbled.

"Heh, coulda fooled me" Victor smirked.

"Anyway, how about you and I do some training? Grant's not an easy challenge to face, what with him having three Pokemon and all" Victor stated, giving Tadashi a heads up as to what to expect.

"Yeah...and none of mine are evolved and they only know their basic moves" Tadashi said as he looked down at his Pokemon.

"Well...except for Charmeleon, he's one I'm most likely going to use" Tadashi said as he held Charmeleon's pokeball in his hand.

"That might not be the best course of action, Grant uses rock types and that would put Charmeleon at a grave disadvantage..." Victor stated with a nervous laugh.

"True, though I've learned that typing doesn't always matter if you can think on your feet quicker than your opponent" Tadashi said with a smirk.

"You're right about that, I saw that move you pulled back there. Quick thinking does help. But against Grant, he's on a different level than other Gym Leaders. Why don't you show me the rest of your team?" Victor stated.

Tadashi sent out all of his Pokemon for Victor to inspect.

"You've got a Ralts? I guess I wasn't there for that part of the battle. Oh, and it's a female at that! What a rare find!" Victor chimed excitedly.

"Let's see...how many battles has it been in? She should be close to evolving right?" Victor inquired curiously.

"Let's see...there was the Santalune City Gym...the battle with Blake...Clarice, and Madeline...she's been through a lot" Tadashi said, scratching his head nervously.

"Well, let's train her, now let's see what else we've got. Cubone is a definite must and you might be able to use Charmeleon after all. Now, let's work on training Ralts and the rest of the team" Victor stated with a smirk.

Tadashi took out a few potions and healed up his team so they could do some training. He was glad he remembered to stock up before leaving Ambrette Town.

"I'm with you on that Victor" Tadashi said with a grin.

The hours seemed to fly by that evening and before they knew it, the sun had set and the stars were out. Soon it was time for them to get some rest.

"That was exhausting" Tadashi said as he heaved an exasperated sigh.

"That's what you gotta do if you want to get stronger, train hard and keep your eyes on the prize" Victor said as he and Tadashi went into the Pokemon Center to check in, when who should be in there? Clarice. She was still awake and reading a magazine in the corner. She didn't seem to notice that they were there however as she had a pair of headphones in her ears and was reading.

Tadashi asked for one of the rooms in the center and so did Victor. The two quietly made their way towards the inn part of the center and went into their rooms, thankfully unnoticed by Clarice who had looked up just after they had left. Shrugging, she looked back down at her magazine. After a while of reading she took out her headphones and made her way to the room she'd selected for the night. A room that happened to be right next to Tadashi's and across from Victor's. Fate is cruel isn't it? These poor souls.

Tadashi sighed heavily as he plopped onto the bed.

"I'm beat..." He sighed, sitting up to stretch a little before taking out his pokeball and letting Fennekin and the rest of his team out.

Fennekin hadn't evolved just yet so it could still claim the pillow next to Tadashi's head as well as his right shoulder. Ralts on the other hand evolved just like Victor suspected. She became a beautiful Kirlia and was stronger than before due to some special training. So now Tadashi had two evolved Pokemon which he was happy with.

Charmeleon curled up on the floor at the foot of the bed while Kirlia gracefully laid herself down. Cubone sat himself down and leaned against the bed and was soon joined by Tyrunt who leaned back and yawned. Skiddo curled up with the others as well and Fennekin claimed her favorite spot.

"Good work today you guys, you've all grown so much" Tadashi said as he sat up and stroked Fennekin behind her ears. She yipped happily before nestling into the pillow.

"Good night everyone...tomorrow is a big day. Kirlia, Charmeleon...Cubone, I'll need you three tomorrow..." Tadashi said, getting an affirmative from the three before drifting off to sleep.

Fennekin nuzzled affectionately into Tadashi's side, just happy to be able to do this while she was still small. Morning came which meant it was time for him to get a jump on things. He needed to eat first, he didn't want to battle on an empty stomach. He first needed to bathe. He quickly hopped in the shower to clean himself up. After about fifteen minutes he got out and dried off, swiftly putting his clothes back on and waking his family of Pokemon.

"Today's the big day you guys. It's our Gym battle against Grant. Let's put our training to the test" Tadashi said, rousing the rest of his Pokemon. Fennekin didn't need to be told twice to wake up.

As usual she jumped onto Tadashi's shoulder and would not be moved for anything. The rest of the gang woke up and Tadashi returned them to their pokeballs. He soon walked out of his room. As he did, the door to Victors room came open and so did Clarice's door.

The three all made eye-contact. Tadashi knew what was coming.

'Three...two...one...' Tadashi counted in his mind.

"TADASHI!" Clarice screamed, most likely waking up anyone else that was asleep.

"Well, good morning sunshine" Victor joked, earning a death glare from Clarice.

"Tadashi? Didn't we agree not to meet up again?" Clarice said through gritted teeth.

"Well, I remember you telling me not to, but I don't ever remember agreeing to it" Tadashi said with a smirk.

"Wh...what? But you...you said you'd not bother me again" Clarice sputtered.

"Well, I did say that, but I don't exactly go around trying to pester you on purpose now do I? Then again...it's not exactly a pleasure to see you either Clarice" Tadashi said with a grimace.

"You...you're impossible!" Clarice fumed, slamming the door to her room as she walked away from the two to head down and eat breakfast.

"I'm telling you Tadashi, you should get her while you can" Victor teased.

"One more word out of you and I'll have Fennekin set more than just your pants on fire...and you know she'll do it too, even without me telling her to..." Tadashi warned.

"Hey now, no need to be rash" Victor said defensively, earning a satisfied smirk from Tadashi.

'Those two don't realize it, but they're more alike than they think...' Victor thought to himself, having analyzed how the two interacted the past few days.

Breakfast went by quickly and soon it was time for Tadashi to have his match with Grant. Victor decided to accompany Tadashi to the Gym to support him, however Clarice decided against it and stayed behind, wanting to head to the beach area down by the route to Ambrette Town.

"Hey, Tadashi!" Another familiar voice called out, this one sounding male.

"Jake?" Tadashi asked curiously, turning around to see him running up to him.

"I finally caught up with you, it's been a while!" Jake said cheerfully.

"You know this guy Tadashi?" Victor inquired.

"Yeah, he was my first fight with Fennekin back on route four. He's a good trainer" Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"My Fletchling evolved and I even caught a few more Pokemon!" Jake said happily.

"Awesome, and it looks like you managed to get a badge too" Tadashi chuckled, pointing to the bug badge that was displayed on the boys outfit.

"Yep, it took me a while because I kept losing, but after I heard how you beat Viola I couldn't quit" Jake said with a grin.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. I didn't think we'd cross paths this soon" Tadashi chuckled, looking back at Victor.

"Oh, sorry, this is Victor, he's another trainer like us. The two of us were just heading to the Cyllage City Gym. Wanna come?" Tadashi inquired.

"If it's to see you in action, heck yeah!" Jake exclaimed.

Jake was about five years younger than Tadashi, putting him at eleven years old. He was also starting his own journey.

Tadashi and the other two soon made it into the Cyllage City Gym and looked around. Tadashi was surprised to see a bunch of climbing walls with one pathway going straight to the top. Standing at the top of the wall was a young dark skinned young man with various rocks in his hair. He had an atheletic build and wore a black long sleeve with white shorts.

"Hello down there!" Grant called down, getting Tadashi's attention.

"Hey again Grant!" Victor called up, getting a wave from Grant.

"Ah, Victor, good to see you after that sweet battle we had. You've got some serious skill dude" Grant laughed.

"Thanks, and now you're going to face another trainer with some skill" Victor grinned, patting Tadashi on the back.

"I don't know about skill, heart maybe..." Tadashi said modestly as he looked up at Grant.

"Don't be so modest Tadashi, you're pretty darn good" Victor mumbled.

"Yeah, don't try to hide your skill, you thumped me pretty good" Jake stated, remembering the battle they'd had. His eyes locked onto Fennekin who scowled at him, causing him to back up a bit.

"Is she still doing that?" Jake asked, afraid to get near Fennekin.

"Unfortunately..." Tadashi muttered.

"Well, if you're going to challenge me, you have to climb to the top. The rest of the trainers can take the elevator" Grant said with a grin.

"Good luck Tadashi!" Victor called out as he and Jake walked into the Elevator.

Tadashi nodded and looked up towards Grant who was waiting for him at the top. Tadashi was decently fit, his mother didn't exactly let him lounge about. Breathing in deep, Tadashi exhaled calmly before planning his route. He grabbed the first hold and pulled himself up and got his footing. His only focus was the climb upward and nothing else. It had been a while since he'd actually done something this strenuous so it would take quite a bit out of him. He continued to climb with nothing else on his mind except for Victor's words 'keep your eyes on the prize.'

Tadashi managed to make it to the top and pulled himself up onto the platform. With a little help from Grant he stood on his feet.

"Now tell me, what did you experience during that climb? What did you see?" Grant asked, waiting for Tadashi to catch his breath.

Tadashi thought about it for a moment as he looked at Grant. A smirk crossed his features as he breathed out his reply.

"Just you. You are the goal, to be able to conquer you is why I came and that's exactly what I'm going to do" Tadashi said with a grin.

"I like that answer" Grant smirked, motioning one of the referee's over to oversee the fight.

"This battle is between the Cyllage City Gym Leader; Grant and the challenger; Tadashi. This will be a three on three battle. Only the challenger may substitute Pokemon. Tadashi will have the first move, ready? Begin!" The referee hollered.

"Onyx, let's rock'em" Grant called out, sending out a helix shaped rock pokemon.

"Cubone, let's do this!" Tadashi called out, sending him out.

Onyx stared down the tiny Pokemon who glared defiantly at Onyx. Jake saw Tadashi's choice and blinked in surprise.

"Isn't Cubone a little at a disadvantage? Onyx has way more power" Jake asked Victor who simply smirked.

"That may be true, but as far as type advantage and strategy, Cubone has Onyx beat" Victor grinned.

"Cubone use bonemerang!" Tadashi called out.

"Onyx, dodge it and use rock tomb!" Grant countered.

Onyx quickly dodged the oncoming bone and unleashed a furious rock tomb towards Cubone.

"Cubone, use bone club to smash the rocks!" Tadashi cried out, prompting Cubone to stand his ground.

Cubone twirled his bone around and slammed it into an oncoming rock, cracking it in half.

"Whoa, that Cubone is amazing!" Jake exclaimed.

"I have to agree with your friend there Tadashi, it looks like you trained him well" Grant complimented.

"Thanks, I do the best that I can" Tadashi said with a nervous laugh.

Tadashi was doing his best to remain calm during this battle. Grant was definitely good and it showed. He needed to have Cubone win this match...otherwise Onyx would wreak havoc on his other teammates.

"Cubone use Bonemerang again!"Tadashi commanded.

"Dodge it and use slam!" Grant called out.

Cubone shot his bone towards Onyx only for it to be evaded. The next thing Cubone knew, he was flying through the air. He managed to grab onto the ledge before he fell off. Cubone pulled himself up and looked around for his bone. Spotting it a good ways away, Cubone made a break for it.

"Cut him off with rock tomb!" Grant commanded.

"Avoid it and get your bone!" Tadashi countered.

Cubone barely avoided the rock tomb and snagged his bone just in time before rolling to the edge again. Cubone stood to his feet, panting in exhaustion.

"Onyx, wrap this up with slam!" Grant called out.

"Jump up and use bone club!' Tadashi fired back.

Cubone narrowly avoided Onyx's tail as it crashed into the floor. Cubone slammed his club down hard on the giant rock snake's tail causing it to roar in pain.

"Finish it up with bonemerang!" Tadashi cried out.

Cubone fired his bone from his hand with great force, hitting Onyx on the side of the head. The great snake came crashing down, unable to battle after hitting the ground with a thud.

"Onyx is unable to battle! Cubone wins!" The referee declared.

"Good work Onyx, you deserve a nice rest" Grant said as he pulled out his next Pokemon.

"Amaura, you're up!" Grant stated, sending out the ice/rock type.

'Great...this is going to be rough...' Tadashi thought as he looked at Amaura nervously.

He glanced back at Cubone who gave him a determined look.

"Still up for battling?" Tadashi asked.

Cubone gave him a nod, twirling his bone around to signal that he was ready.

"Okay then, Cubone attack with bonemerang!" Tadashi commanded.

"Amaura, evade and use aurora beam!" Grant commanded.

The bone missed its mark again before traveling back to its owner. Before Cubone could do anything, Amaura fired an icy blast of rainbow energy towards him, hitting him dead on and causing him to flop over.

"Cubone is unable to battle, Amaura wins!" The referee declared.

"Great work Cubone, you deserve a good rest" Tadashi said as he returned Cubone to his pokeball.

"Charmeleon you're up!" Tadashi stated, bringing out his newly evolved friend.

Charmeleon popped out of his pokeball and roared pridefully before glaring at Amaura.

"Charmeleon use ember!" Tadashi commanded.

"Amaura counter it with aurora beam!" Grant countered.

The two blasts connected resulting in the platform becoming steamy. Neither player could see a thing at this point.

"Charmeleon, use your senses to find Amaura and when you do, use dragon rage!" Tadashi called out.

Charmeleon closed his eyes and sniffed the air, trying to sense where Amaura was. Getting a whiff of the creature, Charmeleon sucked in air and fired a powerful burst of energy towards the area he sensed the opponent and hit his mark. Amaura's cry could be heard in the fog, signaling that it had been hit. Soon the fog lifted and Amaura was seen struggling to stand.

"End this with ember!" Tadashi called out.

"Dodge it Amaura!" Grant countered.

Amaura tried to move, but it wouldn't do any good. Charmeleon released a powerful ember and hit his target, knocking Amaura out.

"Amaura is unable to battle! Charmeleon wins!" The referee stated, waiting for the final Pokemon to be sent out.

"Well, I've enjoyed this battle so far but this is where it's going to get a little rough for you" Grant said with a smirk as he threw out his next Pokemon. It was a Tyrunt, and from the looks of things a well trained one too.

"We can take him" Tadashi said confidently, getting a nod from Charmeleon.

"If you say so" Grant said with a grin.

"Don't underestimate that Tyrunt, it's a lot stronger than you think" Victor warned.

"Thanks for the heads up" Tadashi replied.

"Shall we continue?" Grant inquired.

"You bet, Charmeleon use dragon rage!" Tadashi commanded.

"Dodge it and use rock tomb!" Grant commanded.

Suddenly Charmeleon found himself knocked onto the floor and pinned down by various rocks.

"End it with Draco Meteor!" Grant said with a smirk.

"Draco what?!" Tadashi exclaimed as Tyrunt spit what appeared to be 'fire works' from his mouth but they were actual meteors.

The attack landed and devastated the center of the arena. When the smoke cleared, Charmeleon was unconcious and unable to continue the fight.

"Charmeleon is unable to battle, Tyrunt is the winner" the referee declared.

"That was unexpected..." Tadashi said as he returned Charmeleon to his pokeball.

"I guess it's up to you now Kirlia..." Tadashi said as he went to throw her ball, however as he did so, it opened up on its own.

Kirlia appeared in front of Tadashi and glanced back at Fennekin who was sitting by Tadashi's side. Kirlia motioned to Fennekin who originally wasn't in the fight at all.

"Uh...Kirlia? What's up? Don't you want to battle?" Tadashi asked.

Kirlia simply pointed to Fennekin which caused the fox to trot over curiously to converse with Kirlia. Tadashi couldn't understand much of what they were saying, but from the looks of things Kirlia wanted Fennekin to battle in its place. Kirlia clearly had the advantage and would give Tadashi the win with her being a psychic and fairy type. Dragon moves would have no effect, however it seemed that she was willing to forgo that for her comrade to battle.

"Are you sure that's what you want Kirlia?" Tadashi asked nervously.

Victor tilted his head in confusion as he watched the interaction. He was certain that Tadashi would stick to his plan and go with Kirlia. But after a brief conversation with his Pokemon he was surprised to see Fennekin charging onto the field.

Tadashi returned Kirlia to her ball with a soft smile.

"Alright...I'm trusting you Kirlia..." Tadashi stated as he looked over at Grant who was waiting patiently.

"Ready Fennekin? I'm counting on you" Tadashi said with a determined gaze.

"Fen!" Fennekin replied firmly before turning to face Tyrunt.

"Fennekin use flame charge!" Tadashi called out.

Fennekin shrouded herself in a powerful aura of flames and rushed forward, aiming to knock Tyrunt over.

"Tyrunt, use rock tomb!" Grant countered.

Fennekin began to dodge the rocks that came towards it only to be hit by one of the rocks that it didn't avoid. The move was super effective and caused Fennekin to struggle to get up.

"Use rock tomb again!" Grant ordered.

"Use flame charge and dodge it!" Tadashi countered.

Fennekin powered up again and was able to move out of the way at an even faster pace than before.

"Use bite!" Grant commanded causing Tyrunt to launch itself at Fennekin, catching her by surprise.

Tyrunts jaws locked onto Fennekin with terrible force.

"Throw her now!" Grant commanded.

Tyrunt flung Fennekin across the arena, causing her to skid and tumble end over end until she landed in a weakened heap on the arena floor.

"Fennekin is una...uh..." the referee stopped as Fennekin struggled to stand again.

The words of her trainer were echoing through her mind. Every battle they had up until this point raced through her thoughts and she knew one thing, she couldn't let him down. She wouldn't let him down. She howled and engulfed herself in a bright white light. Tadashi's eyes went wide as he knew exactly what was happening. Fennekin was evolving!

When the light died down a new power stood in place. The pokemon was now bipedal instead. Her fur stayed pretty much the same with the exception of her gaining more white fur on her arms and black fur on her legs. The fur on her cheeks became longer as well and her tail stayed the same with an orange tip but now there was a large twig in her tail. A crimson aura surrounded her frame, signaling that she was now in blaze mode.

Tadashi took out his pokedex to see what happened to Fennekin.

"Braixen, the Fox Pokemon. It has a twig stuck in its tail. With friction from its tail fur, it sets the twig on fire and launches into battle" the pokedex explained.

"Looks like things just got more interesting" Tadashi said as he put away his pokedex.

"So that's why Kirlia wanted Fennekin to go...she knew she was close to evolving and just needed an extra push..." Tadashi said with a smirk.

"Whew, an evolution in the middle of battle. Impressive, but don't forget she's still injured" Grant pointed out.

"Yeah, but because of that she just got a whole lot stronger!" Tadashi informed, getting a raised brow from Grant.

"How about we show them what we're made of Braixen!" Tadashi commanded, getting an affirmative nod from Braixen.

It seemed as though she had a little more control over the blaze ability, but who knew how long that would last.

"Let's finish this Tyrunt, rock tomb!" Grant commanded.

"Evade it with flame charge!" Tadashi countered.

Braixen easily dodged the oncoming rocks, practically teleporting from her location due to the speed she'd gained from the constant flame charges.

"So fast!" Jake exclaimed as he watched Braixen darting around the field.

"That's flame charge for you...when used in succesion, the speed of the user increases" Victor said with a smirk.

"Use psybeam!" Tadashi commanded.

Braixen withdrew the stick from her tail and channeled psychic energies through it before blasting Tyrunt with the collected power. Tyrunt didn't have much time to avoid it and was forced back from the powerful blast. Tyrunt suddenly went into an uncontrollable tantrum. It was bashing itself on the head repeatedly which was a sign of confusion.

"Tyrunt, snap out of it!" Grant called out, but to no avail.

"Braixen, use ember to end it!" Tadashi hollered.

Braixen lit the stick with its tail fur and twirled it around before firing a powerful red ember towards Tyrunt, the blast connecting with destructive force. When the dust settled Tyrunt was seen knocked out with its rear in the air.

"Tyrunt is unable to battle! Braixen wins and the victory goes to Tadashi!" The referee declared.

"Great job Braixen!" Tadashi yelled excitedly.

Braixen stumbled a bit and collapsed from exhaustion, opening its eyes to look up at Tadashi. A smile crossed Grant's features as he pulled out the badge to give to Tadashi.

"That was a tough fight Tadashi. But you gave it your all and conquered three mountains, the first being yourself, the second being the climb up here and the third being me" Grant said as he handed Tadashi the badge.

"It is an honor to present you with the Cliff Badge" Grant said with a bright smile.

Tadashi took the badge and placed it inside the case next to the Bug Badge.

"Thank you Grant" Tadashi said, beaming as he looked over at Braixen who managed to stand up, although she was still tired.

"Great battle Tadashi" Victor said as the trio of boys rode the elevator after saying goodbye to Grant.

Tadashi had returned Braixen to her pokeball and was now leaning against the wall of the elevator.

"I know right? It was amazing, your Braixen is super strong!" Jake exclaimed.

"Thanks you guys. Your support was much appreciated" Tadashi said as they exited the Gym.

"So, I take it you won?" The voice of Clarice resounded in his ears.

"Yeah, something like that" Tadashi said, showing the badge to her.

"Oh no...it's her..." Jake stated nervously.

"Tch...a bit slow going but you managed to catch up" Clarice muttered.

"Hey, I won didn't I?" Tadashi fired back.

"How about you win the battle without nearly losing all of your Pokemon? I was listening to the battle down below. You still have a lot to learn about how to battle properly. Just because you got lucky and your Fennekin evolved doesn't mean a thing. It takes more than that to truly become a Master. Or do I have to remind you of our last encounter?" Clarice said with a smirk.

"Are they always like this?" Jake inquired as Victor simply held in his laughter.

Tadashi grimaced at this. Of course he remembered that fight. She stomped him flat and handed his hind end to him on a silver platter. On top of that, most of her Pokemon were evolved and boasted more strength than his did. He had some serious catching up to do. On top of that there was Victor, another strong trainer. He wasn't sure which of the two would come out on top if they ever got into it.

"Okay you love birds, break it up" Victor stated, stepping between the two.

"Call us that one more time and I will kick you where the sun doesn't shine!" Clarice threatened.

"That...sounds painful..." Tadashi cringed.

"You're lucky I haven't already done that to you Tadashi. You got to knock me over but I can't knock you down? That hardly seems fair now does it?" Clarice fumed.

"Easy you two, let's try to get along huh?" Victor offered, but judging by the sparks of anger flying between Clarice and Tadashi, that wasn't going to happen.

Victor sighed and shook his head. He wondered if the two would ever get along. The seemed to fight like a married couple or something to that effect. Either way, those two were amusing to watch. Tadashi managed to secure his next badge, but what challenges wait for him in the next town? Only time will tell.

_**And there you have it folks! Tadashi has acquired the next badge after a heated match with Grant. Our fuzzy little Fennekin has finally evolved. Her shoulder perching days are over, how sad. Perhaps Tadashi can find himself a new partner for that. Well, what did you think? How do you like the characters so far? What about Jake making a reappearance? And what about the threat of Team Flare? When will they strike next? And will Tadashi and Clarice ever get along? Only one way to find out. Next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	7. Chapter 7

**Good morning again people! What he's just now waking up? Yep. Wow, I got more reviews! o.o I wasn't expecting that many, that makes me excited! Annnd excitement over...it's early in the morning here and I'm not sure why I'm up. Oh that's right, I'm writing another chapter! I hope you all enjoyed the last one. This is going to be a special chapter, you'll see why. Anywho, let's get to it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 7: Broken yet Beautiful**

After the epic clash between fire and rock, Tadashi was still running the Gym Battle through his mind. He glanced at his now vacant shoulder and gave a happy sigh. He was glad that Fennekin evolved into Braixen, however he would miss her being fun-size and traveling on his shoulder. Oh well, can't have everything right? Tadashi and Victor sat in the Pokemon Center at a table. Jake decided not to stick with the group as he was uncomfortable around Clarice. Who wouldn't be? Tadashi just couldn't understand her.

Why was she such an egotistical witch? Calling her anything but would be an insult to those that are. He just couldn't wrap his mind around her and it bothered him. There had to be a way to figure her out. He had seen a few occasions where she could be really nice. But they were always short lived moments. She was so much more likeable when she wasn't being a total snob. She had the potential to be a great person, Tadashi could see it. She helped him out at Parfum Palace and even battled alongside him in the Glittering Cave. The two could actually work really well together when it came down to it. So why was she such an insufferable prick?

All of the insults and snide remarks ran through his mind. Tadashi may not know everything that was going on, but he could tell a front when he saw one. To him, there was absolutely no way that anyone could be that intolerable without reason.

"That's it..." Tadashi said as he stood up, a determined look on his features.

"Huh? Did I miss something?" Victor inquired, looking up at Tadashi.

"I've had it with her..." Tadashi muttered, clenching his fists as he got off of his chair and turned to walk out of the Pokemon Center.

"Dude, wait up!" Victor called out, catching up to Tadashi as he walked out.

"What are you going to do?" Victor asked, still seeing a rather frustrated expression on his friend's face.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of why she's so irritating that's what" Tadashi replied firmly.

'He's really focused on this...I've been meaning to ask Clarice the same but it seems more fitting that Tadashi do this. It looks like he has a lot to get off of his chest' Victor thought as he decided to let Tadashi go on ahead to handle it on his own.

But this didn't mean he wouldn't get a front row seat to the action. He was Victor after all right? He already knew where Tadashi was headed because it was where Clarice had gone for the rest of the day, route eight, the beach. Tadashi approached the beach and didn't need to look too far to find Clarice. She was on her back, lounging in a fold out chair she'd borrowed from the Pokemon Center. She had a glass of lemonade in her hand and a magazine on her lap. She wore a black bikini top that had Milotic designs on it. The bottoms matched of course.

Spotting Tadashi she growled low, placing her lemonade down as she stood to face him. As she glanced back at him she noticed something different about him. Determination. And not the kind he'd shown her previously, no this was something deeper.

"What?" Was all she said, waiting for him to answer her assumed question.

"You...that's what..." Tadashi said firmly, taking out a pokeball and tapping the mechanism to enlarge the ball.

Clarice didn't need to speak. Neither of them needed words to communicate at this point because they both spoke the same language; battle. It was every trainer's way of saying 'hello.' Clarice grabbed one of her Pokemon and mimicked Tadashi's actions. Victor had arrived but stayed a good distance away from them as he could see how intense this was going to get. His Quilladin was out of his pokeball for unknown reasons but Victor didn't seem to mind.

"This is going to be fun to watch isn't it buddy?" Victor asked quietly, patting Quilladin on the head lightly.

The spiny Pokemon nodded and turned to watch the match begin.

"Skiddo you're up!" Tadshi called out.

"Steelix let's do this!" Clarice belted as she threw her pokemon onto the field.

The steel snake Pokemon towered over Skiddo in an intimidating fashion. All Tadashi could do was wonder where in the world she got it.

"Surprised? It's amazing what people will trade for something so powerful" Clarice chuckled, loving the look on Tadashi's face after seeing Steelix.

'This is nuts...I thought dealing with Onyx was bad, this is worse...' Tadashi thought as he looked down at Skiddo who didn't seem to want to back down.

"That's just like you to go for powerhouse Pokemon...fits your crappy personality as well!" Tadashi shot back, getting a startled look from Clarice.

First blood had been drawn on the insults and it wasn't by her this time. She definitely wasn't going to stand for that.

"Crappy personality?! How dare you, you insufferable rat!" Clarice hissed, turning to Steelix with a stern expression.

"Use autotomize!" Clarice commanded.

Steelix screeched and its body began spinning as though it were sharpening itself, sparks were flying everywhere.

"Skiddo, vine whip and grab hold, then use razor leaf!" Tadashi commanded.

Skiddo nodded and darted forwards, shooting out vines, aiming to grab hold of steelix.

"Dodge and use stealth rock" Clarice commanded.

Steelix dodged the attack with surprising speed and slammed its tail on the ground, causing sharp rocks to hover in the air.

"Now use gyro ball" Clarice commanded, causing Steelix to start spinning.

Energy gathered in its mouth and suddenly a ball of white energy burst from its mouth, slamming into Skiddo before it had time to react. The ball did quite a bit of damage, though it was reduced a little due to autotomize increasing Steelix's speed, but it was still much slower than Skiddo.

Skiddo struggled to stand and turned to face Steelix, stamping his hooves and flaring his nostrils.

"Skiddo, hang in there and use razor leaf!" Tadsahi called out.

"Evade and grab hold of Skiddo with your tail, then use dragon breath to end it!" Clarice commanded.

Steelix evaded the razor leaf and managed to round up Skiddo before it knew what happened.

"Skiddo!" Tadashi called out, knowing that it was over for the little guy.

Steelix opened its mouth and loosed a powerful dragon breath at Skiddo, knocking it out. Steelix set the Skiddo down and towered over Tadashi as he returned Skiddo to his pokeball.

Tadashi glared at Clarice who returned the favor. Their feelings were now on the surface and Victor had a feeling that this battle was just about to get way more heated.

"Tell me something Clarice" Tadashi began, "Why are you so cold?!" Tadashi demanded.

"Like I'm going to tell you. You're going to have to earn that answer! I don't let people pry into my private life so I'm going to kindly ask you to butt out and let your Pokemon speak for you!" Clarice shouted.

"Fine! But I still don't get it. What the heck is your deal?!" Tadashi stated, grabbing hold of Cubone's pokeball and releasing it. As Cubone appeared the rocks that were hovering slammed into him, damaging him a little before the fight.

"I'd ask the same of you! You don't seem to respect other people's wishes. Didn't your father ever teach you that?!" Clarice shot back, not realizing the can of worms she just opened up.

Tadashi went silent for a moment. His fists were clenched tightly and his body started to tremble. Clarice had struck a sore spot. And now she was going to pay for it.

"You...insufferable witch!" Tadashi roared, causing Clarice to recoil from the remark and the angered expression on his face.

"I have been nothing but patient with you but now you've crossed the line..." Tadashi spat.

"You dare insult me again?! That's it, I've had it up to here with you!" Clarice snarled back.

"Steelix used Gyro ball!" Clarice called out.

Steelix began to spin once again and then launched a white ball of energy towards Cubone.

"Bat it away with your bone, then use bonemerang!" Tadashi commanded.

Cubone stood his ground as the ball neared him and with a mighty swing he sent it flying off to the side. Taken aback by this action, Steelix reared back out of surprise. Cubone then fired his bone at Steelix, hitting him right on the side of the head with great force. Steelix swayed groggily and almost fell over.

"Again Cubone!" Tadashi commanded.

Cubone threw the bone again and landed another solid hit, causing the steel snake to fall forwards, unable to continue, leaving Clarice with a 'what just happened' look on her face.

She returned Steelix to his ball and called out her next Pokemon.

"Roselia, let's go!" Clarice called out.

Tadashi watched as the rather small rose wielding Pokemon came into play. He knew better than to underestimate it because it was quite a powerful grass/poison type. This pokemon also fit her. It was beautiful but poisonous.

"Use razor leaf!" Clarice demanded.

"Cubone, use your club to defend!" Tadashi ordered.

Roselia shot a burst of leaves towards Cubone who spun his club to defend himself. The attack was rather strong and he couldn't hold his defense for much longer and was eventually overcome by it. Cubone got up slowly and was now panting heavily. He avoided most of the damage but the rest of it was still strong.

"Finish it with giga drain!" Clarice ordered.

Roselia's body began to glow brightly with a sunlight aura. Soon Cubone was struck with an unexpected blast and felt his energy being sapped up by Roselia. Cubone flopped over defeated and unable to continue.

That was definitely how Clarice worked. She left her opponents feeling degraded and defeated, sapped of all energy. But not today. Tadashi returned Cubone to his pokeball and brought out his next pokemon.

"Kirlia, let's go!" Tadashi called, sending out the dancing pokemon.

Kirlia balanced herself on one foot before lowering the other, keeping herself on her toes as she stepped in place. It was as if there were music constantly in her ears. Once again, the stealth rocks crashed into Tadashi's Pokemon, giving her before battle damage.

'Now this is interesting...why didn't he go with one of his fire types? That would easily overpower Roselia...wait...Roselia is part poison which means psychic types would easily do the job as well. Tadashi must have known this' Victor thought with a smirk.

"Roselia, use razor leaf!" Clarice ordered.

"Kirlia, double team and use confusion!" Tadashi countered.

Roselia fired off a volley of leaves once more, however they simply went through the double team. Clarice grunted in annoyance as she knew what was coming. Kirlia appeared behind Roselia and lifted her up with her mind, throwing her around like a rag doll before tossing her a good distance away.

Roselia struggled to get up but eventually flopped over due to the rough treatment from Kirlia's attack and her weakness to it.

"Roselia, return!" Clarice shouted, bringing her Pokemon back to its ball.

"Beedrill let's go" Clarice belted.

The overgrown bee hovered onto the field again. Tadashi remembered how strong Beedrill was and knew he needed to be on his guard.

"Kirlia use disarming voice!" Tadashi ordered.

"Beedrill, hit her with pin missile!" Clarice commanded.

As Kirlia was about to open her mouth, a ton of sharp needles rained down upon her, causing an explosion and tossing her back several feet.

"Hit her with poison sting before she can get up!" Clarice demanded.

Beedrill quickly closed in on Kirlia and stung her, causing her to cry out in pain. The move was super effective which was bad news for her. A purple aura sparked about her and shocked her, signifying that she'd been poisoned.

"Kirlia!" Tadashi called out disparingly.

"End it with another pin missile" Clarice said coldly.

Beedrill fired away and knocked Kirlia out quickly. Tadashi gritted his teeth and glared back at a smirking Clarice.

"The score is still in my favor it seems. Am I still too much for you to handle Tadashi?" Clarice said with a grin.

Tadashi said nothing as he returned Kirlia to her ball.

'You did your best...' Tadashi thought as he grabbed his next partner.

"Charmeleon, take her down!" Tadashi said as he threw Charmeleon onto the field. The stealth rocks caused a considerable amount of damage to Charmeleon due to his weakness to them. Charmeleon winced at the pain but stood strong.

"Use ember!" Tadashi called out.

Charmeleon reared his head back and fired an intense blast of flames towards Beedrill.

"Dodge it Beedrill and use pin missile!" Clarice commanded.

Beedrill managed to avoid the ember and fire a volley of missiles at Charmeleon, sending him flying backwards just like Kirlia. Charmeleon was already damaged by the stealth rocks. The damage now was an added bonus for Clarice. The match was heating up and Victor could tell that they were giving it their all. It was an intense match to watch.

"You still never answered me!" Tadashi called to her as Charmeleon stood up.

"I don't have to answer to you, didn't I just get through explaining that? Get it through your thick head!" Clarice snapped back.

"Sheesh you're difficult!" Tadashi retorted.

"Beedrill close in with twineedle!" Clarice ordered.

That was a big mistake. She seemed to be so wrapped up in winning that she forgot one of Tadashi's key strategies.

"Charmeleon, use ember!" Tadashi commanded.

"Crap!" Clarice shouted, knowing she'd messed up.

Charmeleon opened his mouth and loosed a powerful ember at point blank range on Beedrill, knocking it out due to it taking a facial. The large bee fell to the ground in a heap, fire still sizzling on its wings.

'Why does he get me so angry?' Clarice thought as she glared at Tadashi.

'He's always been in my way. No matter where I went, there he was like a cockroach that refused to stay down. No matter how many times I taunted him, walked all over him and insulted him, he still manages to annoy me. I thought I'd be rid of him by now...so why...why am I feeling like this? Why is he trying to reach me? Why?...' Clarice thought, her eyes narrowing as she recalled her Beedrill.

"Arceus you're annoying..." Clarice snarled, taking Amaura's pokeball and sending it out onto the field.

"The same can be said for you..." Tadashi snapped back.

Clarice didn't respond, she simply acted at this point.

"Amaura, rock tomb!" Clarice commanded.

"Charmeleon, dodge it and use dragon rage!" Tadashi ordered.

Charmeleon evaded the oncoming rocks and fired a burst of energy towards Amaura.

"Dodge and use aurora beam!" Clarice responded.

Amaura avoided the dragon rage and fired a powerful blast of ice towards Charmeleon who took the blast head on, skidding back quite a distance.

"Finish it with rock tomb!" Clarice demanded.

Amaura fired a volley of rocks towards Charmeleon, putting the final nail in the coffin. Charmeleon was knocked out. Tadashi grimaced and returned Charmeleon to his pokeball.

"It's okay buddy...you did your best..." Tadashi muttered, putting him away and taking out Tyrunts ball.

"Go Tyrunt!" Tadashi stated, releasing him from his spherical home.

Tyrunt surged onto the field, stomping his feet and snarling before glaring at Amaura. Tyrunt was the predator, and Amaura was the prey. The rocks slammed into Tyrunt, dealing very minimal damage due to the rock typing that Tyrunt possessed to go with the dragon typing.

"Amaura use aurora beam!" Clarice commanded.

"Dodge it and use ancient power!" Tadashi ordered.

Amaura fired an icy blast but Tyrunt was able to leap up and avoid it, using his powerful legs. He landed back on the ground and began to glow with crimson energy. Rocks began to rise up from the ground and circle around him. Suddenly, the rocks were shot forward, knocking Amaura back several feet. Amaura struggled to get up from the damage that was dealt. At that moment, Tyrunt roared and a blue aura surrounded his body, signalling a stat boost. All of his stats were suddenly boosted. This was definitely trouble.

'Darn him...he just had to get lucky with the stat boost!' Clarice thought as her Pokemon barely stood up.

"End it with rock tomb!" Tadshi called out.

Tyrunt surrouned itself with more rocks and fired them off towards Amaura. Each rock hit their mark and knocked Amaura out. Tyrunt roared triumphantly as Clarice recalled her Pokemon.

'This is odd...he's gotten much stronger in such a short time. The gap between us was so big before but now it seems to have thinned...what's happening? Why am I getting so frustrated? What's wrong with me?' Clarice thought as she reached for Wartortle's pokeball.

"Wartortle, get to it!" Clarice called out.

"Tyrunt, charge in and use stomp!" Tadashi commanded.

Tyrunt rushed towards Wartortle with greatly increased speed, nearly taking the turtle by surprise.

"Wartortle, evade and use water pulse!" Clarice ordered.

Tyrunt was nearly on top of Wartortle who barely avoided the attack in time. Wartortle opened his mouth and blasted Tyrunt at close range with a water pulse, sending him skidding across the ground end over end. Tyrunt pulled itself up and threw an immediate tantrum. It was just like what happened with Grant after the psybeam hit. Tyrunt was now confused.

"Finish it with water gun!" Clarice demanded.

Wartortle shot a beam of water towards Tyrunt, hitting it square in the jaw, knocking the confused fit throwing dragon out.

This wasn't good. Wartortle was the one who defeated him last time and it looked like it was going to end up that way again.

"Now it's down to your Braixen...you know it has no chance right?" Clarice said with a smug look on her face. She knew she had the complete advantage now.

Tadashi simply returned Tyrunt to his ball and took out Braixen's ball.

"That may be so...but I've learned not to go based off of typing...Braixen is going to fight to the bitter end. I'm going to defeat you Clarice!" Tadashi said firmly with a determined expression.

"Let's do this Braixen!" Tadashi called out, sending forth his companion.

This caught Clarice off guard a little. Had he just declared victory when he was at a disadvantage? She couldn't tell if he was confident or delusional.

Braixen appeared on the field and took damage from the stealth rock, causing her to wince a bit. Braixen was no pushover, but Clarice knew she had the advantage. Still, something was bothering her.

'Something's not right...why would he save Braixen for last? He could have saved Kirlia...and then used her to battle instead...so why did he leave his starter out of the match for so long? Come to think of it...why didn't I use Frogadier earlier?' Clarice thought, confused now that she ran through the battle in her mind.

'Was he setting it up this way?' Clarice wondered as her Wartortle stared down Braixen.

"Wartortle use water pulse!" Clarice commanded.

"Braixen use flame charge to avoid it and then use psybeam!" Tadashi countered.

Wartortle fired a blast of water towards Braixen only for her to dodge and retaliate with a psychic beam.

"Dodge it and use water gun!" Clarice ordered.

Wartortle evaded the blast and fired one of his own.

"Dodge and move in with flame charge!" Tadashi countered again.

Braixen powered up heated energies and rushed towards Wartortle after avoiding the water gun. She converged on Wartortle and managed to ram him, sending him backwards.

"Now use flame charge again!" Tadashi ordered.

Braixen charged in again, this time several times faster than she was previously and knocked into Wartortle who fell face first into the sand.

"Finish with psybeam!" Tadashi commanded.

"Get out of the way Wartortle!" Clarice hollered.

Her words reached Wartortle, but it was too late. The beam connected with brutal force and sent Wartortle flying backwards.

Clarice was stunned. Braixen had beaten Wartortle and she was now down to her last Pokemon. This entire journey that's never happened to her before. She couldn't make sense of it. The boy before her was inferior, for so she thought. So what changed? How did he become so strong so quick? Clarice shook her head and grabbed her Frogadier's pokeball without a word and threw it on the field.

The frog Pokemon hopped onto the field and assumed a battle stance. Braixen stared back, locking eyes with Frogadier. Both of them knew that this was going to be a tough fight.

"Braixen, use flame charge!" Tadashi ordered, prompting Braixen to rush Frogadier.

"Frogadier get in close with quick attack, then use water pulse!" Clarice commanded.

Frogadier and Braixen rushed towards each other, Braixen missing due to Frogadier leaping up and firing a water pulse from his hands.

"Counter with psybeam!" Tadashi called back.

Braixen looked up at the oncoming aquatic energy and quickly grabbed her stick firing off a beam of psychic energy towards it. Both energies collided and canceled each other out. Frogadier landed on the ground and stared back at Braixen who lowered her stick to do the same.

Clarice and Tadashi had finished exchanging insults at this point. It was as if they were speaking through their Pokemon now.

'This is the language of battle...I've never seen it so beautifully displayed...' Victor thought to himself as he watched their fight rage towards its conclusion.

"Frogadier, use water pulse!" Clarice ordered.

"Dodge and use flame charge!" Tadashi countered.

Frogadier fired another water pulse at Braixen but it was easily avoided. Braixen closed in on Frogadier faster than expected. Braixen's speed had increased dramatically by this point making her hard to catch now. Braixen rammed into Frogadier who stumbled back a ways.

"Now, use quick attack!" Clarice ordered.

Frogadier was now close enough to Braixen so that it would be difficult to avoid being hit. Frogadier landed the quick attack and knocked Braixen back as a return for what she did earlier.

"Now use water pulse!" Clarice demanded.

Frogadier fired a blast of aquatic energy towards Braixen, hitting her dead on as she was still a bit disoriented from the first attack. She struggled to get up, her stamina running low on her at this point.

"Use lick to hold her down and end it with water pulse!" Clarice commanded.

Frogadier's tongue shot out and latched onto Braixen's leg, securing her in place. Tadashi was in a fix now. He needed to think of a way out of the situation. He glanced at Frogadier's tongue and formed an idea. This was going to be painful.

"Braixen, light your stick and use it on his tongue!" Tadashi countered.

'Oh that's so mean!' Victor laughed in his mind.

Braixen, used to her trainers strange commands, did as she was told and set Frogadier's tongue ablaze, causing the frog to let go of her and fall back, using the water pulse on his tongue instead.

"Frogadier!" Clarice called out, genuine concern in her voice at this point, something Tadashi hadn't heard before.

"Finish up with psybeam!" Tadashi called out.

Braixen fired a powerful blast towards Frogadier who was too close to dodge the blast. The beam connected with full force sending him flying, much to the surprise of Clarice. Frogadier got up slowly and struggled to stand. He stared back at a worn out Braixen and simply smiled before passing out. Tadashi had won.

"I...I don't believe it..." Clarice said, falling to her knees, returning Frogadier to his ball.

"Feels bad doesn't it?" Tadashi said as he returned Braixen to her ball.

"Losing feels awful...now you know how I felt after our first fight..." Tadashi said sternly.

"You don't understand..." Clarice said with a tremble to her voice, something that was never there.

"What don't I understand? You berated me this entire time. You pushed me around, and insulted me, lording your superiority over me like you were some royal! You pushed my buttons for the longest time and now you got what you deserved, a hard dose of defeat!" Tadashi snapped.

"Shut up!" Clarice cried, her eyes welling up with tears at this point. She stood up and glared daggers at Tadashi.

"All my life I've been pushed around by people like you! They all took advantage of me! They all used me for their own selfish gain. Sure, I was once a happy-go-lucky idiot like you. I didn't let anything get me down, but there was only so much I could take and that's when I decided to stand up for myself!" Clarice snapped.

"I can't stand boys like you. You don't care what happens to anyone else and you don't care who you hurt as long as you get your way!" Clarice accused.

Tadashi blinked in confusion. This seemed familiar to him somehow, though he couldn't put a finger on it. She was exactly like Braixen in a way. It seemed weird comparing her to a Pokemon but it fit. She'd been pushed around a lot which drove her into being as cold and ruthless as she was now. She was worse than Braixen actually. She accused him of being like other boys, which pissed him off a bit.

"Where do you get off comparing me to everyone else?!" Tadashi snarled, glowering at her.

"I've tried to be nice to you this whole time. I tolerated your attitude, I put up with your insults for the past few days and now I've had all I can stand. Why are you like this? I don't get it! And as far as I'm concerned, all you've done is describe yourself!" Tadashi retorted.

"I was abandoned you idiot!" Clarice belted out, fuming mad by this point.

"Abandoned? By who? Imaginary friends?!" Tadashi shot back.

"No, stupid! My father!" Clarice roared.

This made Tadashi feel bad for what he'd said. It was then, that he realised that he and Clarice had way too much in common. Clarice was trembling with anger, tears spilling down her cheeks at this point.

"You have no freaking clue what it's like to be disowned by the one person you tried your hardest to please..." Clarice shot back.

"Every day there was always something he didn't like. I did my best, ALWAYS, but nothing I did was ever good enough. My mother tried to reason with him to get him to warm up to me but she never could melt that stone cold heart. He wanted a son and got me instead. Mother convinced him to try to raise me as he would a son but nothing I did ever pleased him. I always felt like I could never do anything right!" Clarice cried, glaring at Tadashi.

"He abandoned me and my mother for some tramp! He called me a failure because I never stood up for myself. People always walked all over me and I was too nice and naive to do anything about it. Well not anymore...that old me is gone!" Clarice spat.

Tadashi didn't know what to say to her story. All he knew was that she was hurting badly inside and it was spilling out. Feeling guilty for the things he said he glanced back at her calmly.

"You're not the only one with that problem...the only differnce is that you still have your father alive..." Tadashi said with a sorrowful expression.

Clarice's eyes widened a bit, tears still trickling down her visage.

"It happened six years ago. It was in the Hoenn region. My father was showing some kids around the volcano observatory when it suddenly erupted. My father never made it out alive. I guess you could call it a form of abandonment...but it wasn't intentional of course. But you don't see me sulking around because it happened now do you?!" Tadashi said firmly.

"Listen up Clarice! Your father was an moron for ditching you and your mother. Had he just tried to raise you right and give you the love you needed you wouldn't have turned out to be so irritating. My Arceus! Didn't you ever stop to think for one second that now that he's gone you don't have to worry about him pushing you around or anyone else? Or were you so caught up in how cruel he was to you that you couldn't see that you were free from his oppression?! Get yourself together Clarice!" Tadashi said firmly.

Clarice's eyes watered again, not because it hurt to hear the truth, but because it hurt that he was right. She fell to her knees and put her face in her hands. Her spirit was broken at this point. Tadashi looked at how she was now compared to before. She used to be cold and guarded, strong willed and commanding as well as intolerable. Now she was broken...vulnerable. It was as if all the hurt she felt finally caught up with her and she snapped.

Victor continued to watch, not speaking still since he hadn't been noticed yet. Then again, he was standing in the open. Were they so focused on the fight that they didn't notice he was there?

Tadashi made his way towards Clarice and offered his hand. Clarice rubbed her eyes with her arm before staring at his hand. Every other time she'd slapped it away, not realising that he was just trying to help her, trying to be nice. She'd been completely wrong about Tadashi by the looks of things. This time she didn't bat his hand away. This time, she took it. Helping her up, Tadashi steadied her so she could stand.

"Thanks..." Clarice muttered, sniffing a bit before looking him in the eyes.

"I'm sorry..." Clarice uttered, catching Tadashi by surprise.

"For what?" Tadashi inquired, blinking in confusion.

"For everything doofus..." Clarice said in an annoyed tone.

Tadashi knew what she meant, he just wanted to hear her say it.

"Apology accepted" Tadashi said with a faint smile.

"Don't think this changes a lot Tadashi...just because you beat me and got an apology out of me doesn't mean I'll take it lying down. I'll pay you back for this defeat but until then I'm going to follow you until we meet in the Kalos League. We're still rivals Tadashi...but now...I suppose you can...call me your friend..." Clarice said quietly. Tadashi heard her and smirked.

"I knew you'd come around eventually..." Tadashi said with a smirk.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Clarice snapped.

'And she's back' Tadashi thought with a sigh.

"Tadashi Misao, you are treading on thin ice mister!" Clarice warned him.

"Okay you two love birds break it up" Victor interjected, getting a surprised look from them both.

"How long have you been there?!" Tadashi and Clarice shouted in unison.

"Long enough to see everything, that was an intense battle. If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn this was a League battle. That was epic!" Victor exclaimed.

Tadashi looked over at a visibly annoyed Clarice and simply shook his head.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, you got a front row seat to me crying. Now, how about I return the favor?" Clarice snarled.

"Clarice, let's talk about this" Victor stated, backing up as she walked towards him.

Tadashi could only look on as Clarice took off after Victor.

"Poor guy..." Tadashi thought as he heard a pained cry come from Victor as he fell over, clutching his family jewels.

Clarice huffed and walked back over to Tadashi with a satisfied smirk. She then headed towards the Pokemon Center, looking back at Tadashi as she walked.

"Aren't you coming? Your friends need attention too don't they?" Clarice said with a faint smile.

Seeing that smile gave him a whole new impression of her. It lit up her features, making her seem more pleasant to look at. Before, although she was beautiful to behold, her attitude and personality made her uglier than sin. Tadsahi learned that the inside was what made someone beautiful not the exterior. That smile was just the beginning from what he could tell. He knew it would take baby steps to get there, but eventually she'd be a lot nicer, he was sure of it.

"Sure, though I wonder if Victor is going to be okay" Tadashi said as he looked back at Victor who struggled to get up.

"Clarice...that was lame!" Victor shouted.

"Well, you had it coming!" Clarice shouted back, actually laughing this time.

Victor couldn't help but smirk as he heard the laugh.

'Tadashi...just who are you? I don't know how you did it, but you managed to turn a witch into someone more tolerable...looks like I might stick with you two after all' Victor thought as he hobbled towards the Pokemon Center with the other two. They were a rather dysfunctional group, but when they worked together, nothing stood in their way. The sun was setting and it looked as though they would be spending an extra night in Cyllage City. After healing up their Pokemon, Tadashi and Clarice got rooms next to each other and Victor shacked up in one across from them. It had been a long day but a lot got accomplished. Tadashi had beaten his rival, but it was incredibly difficult and he nearly lost. Slowly but surely though, he was getting through to Clarice. Only time will tell how things go between the trio now.

_**And so ends another exciting chapter! I know, it's about time Clarice got what was coming to her right? She's still a bit tempermental...okay, she's very tempermental BUT now she will start being a little nicer to Tadashi. Victor still has to work for it. He's a bit of a laid back trainer with an attitude that irritates Clarice more than Tadashi did. Crazy right? Anyway, let me know how you liked the chapter in the reviews! Find out what happens soon on The Flames of Revolution**_!


	8. Chapter 8

**Aloha! (he said in his Stitch voice) How is everyone? Did you like the last chapter? I hope so because those 5.7k words hurt like no tomorrow. Anyway, my fingers aside, I hope you all like the change in Clarice. Yes, I know for the first few chapters she was a real pain. Some of you probably would have decked her or at least wanted to. Anywho, after her defeat things will get interesting. How about I quit running my mouth and trying to ruin the chapter, and get things started? Banzai! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 8: Burning Flames and an Aura of Virtue**

Tadashi was up rather early the next morning as he couldn't get much sleep after the previous day's events. The sun hadn't come up very far yet so it was still a little dark. It was five o'clock in the morning. Tadashi sat by the beach, already dressed in his father's uniform. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he reached out and played with the sand a little. He slowly closed his eyes to take a journey down memory lane.

He remembered the days his father took him to see countless Pokemon battles. He used to ride on his father's shoulders at the age of six and his father would point out different things to him while they watched various competitions. He even got to see his old man battle alongside his Blazekin. The two were an incredible team. After watching his father countless times he decided that one day he would grow up and be a trainer just like his father was and become a Master.

Now, he finally had his chance. The world of Pokemon was a vast one. This was just his first step in his journey. First it would be Kalos, then it would be the other regions. Tadashi wanted the full package. His father traveled all over Hoenn, Kanto and Johto. Even his mother traveled with him, competing with him at first of course. After years together, the two settled down in Hoenn and retired their badge hunting for something deeper. Thus, Tadashi came into the picture.

Tadashi was going to make it a point to travel to each region and compete in every League and go beyond what his father was able to do. This was his mother's wish before he left and he was going to honor it. Putting those thoughts aside he brought back to the forefront of his mind the thing that bothered him. Clarice. Although their battle was fueled by rage, he still couldn't help but feel he'd been a bit of a prick to her. Then again...anyone would have been had they been treated the way he was.

The sound of moving sand caught his attention, prompting him to turn around to see who was walking behind him. His eyes widened. Speak of the devil, it was Clarice. Tadashi smiled lightly as she walked towards him. She was sporting a long-sleeve black shirt which stopped just above her white designer shorts. She was barefoot for whatever reason. She looked as though she'd just woken up due to the tired expression on her face. A faint smile crossed her features, signaling she wasn't there to trade insults.

"Couldn't sleep much either huh?" Tadashi inquired, causing Clarice to shake her head.

"You can sit with me you know..." Tadashi said as Clarice walked over to him.

"Thanks...but I want to stand...I don't exactly want sand in my shorts...that will get irritating...but not as irritating as I've been to you..." Clarice said with a saddened expression.

"Look Tadashi...I want to apologise" Clarice began.

"Didn't you already do that?" Tadashi asked curiously, raising a brow at her comment.

"No, stupid...a REAL apology. Arceus..." Clarice muttered, turning to face him.

"On your feet Tadashi" Clarice demanded.

"Okay...I still don't see why this is necessary..." Tadashi began.

"Just shut up and listen!" Clarice spat.

"Okay, okay...what's up?" Tadashi said calmly.

Clarice heaved a sigh and then breathed deeply before speaking.

"Tadashi, I've been rotten to you. And I know it may take a while to make it up to you for the things I said. I don't expect our relationship to improve super quick, that would be foolish of me. You and I have a lot to work on if we're to get along. I'm sorry that I yelled at you so much. And for calling you names...especially when you ran into me, you really need to pay attention to where you're going by the way. Seriously, I could have been hurt" Clarice said with a stern expression.

"But...even though I did all of those things, you still extended your hand to me. Me. A girl who's caused you nothing but mental anguish. All because I was feeling sorry for myself and hiding behind a wall. A wall in which you smashed a hole in. It's still there...and I hope to Arceus that it crumbles one day. So...with that being said..." Clarice continued, extending her hand out to Tadashi.

"Partners?" Clarice asked, getting a shocked expression from Tadashi.

Tadashi simply looked at her hand. He wasn't sure whether to push it away or take it. He had forgiven her for what she'd already done but that didn't mean he'd forgotten. They were on better terms now but he knew she still felt the sting of his words, just like he felt hers. Still, the fact that she was coming to him to make amends for something that could have easily been avoided surprised him. He was actually glad this was happening. A smile graced his features as he reached out and took her hand, locking it with hers.

"Partners" Tadashi repeated with a smirk.

"Now that we've put that aside...let's try not to get into it so much. Though...if you cross me Tadashi I swear to Arceus I will make good on that promise I made the first day we met" Clarice stated with a serious expression.

Clarice was still Clarice. That was never going to change. Even if she was being nice, she still had her quirks. Even after a tender moment she still reverted back to how she usually was. At least this time she showed that there was more to her than just a crappy attitude. She still had a lot to work on, but that would come with time. Tadashi wasn't sure if he would get used to her being this nice. It felt strange...yet at the same time, he liked it.

"We should probably get back to the Pokemon Center before the little snoop wakes up and finds us together. I swear he's trying his hardest to ship us..." Clarice muttered.

"Yeah...and something tells me he won't give up either" Tadashi laughed, causing Clarice to do the same.

The two stared at each other for but a moment, however it felt longer than that. Realizing what she was doing, Clarice huffed and looked away, hiding the blush on her features. Tadashi also looked away and then turned back to Clarice.

"Well, let's get going" Tadashi chuckled.

"Agreed" Clarice said as she began to walk towards the center.

Tadashi headed back to his room and Clarice decided to wait in the lobby. As she waited, two kids bolted into the center in a hurry. Both of them seemed to be extremely worried. The nurse behind the counter turned to see the two boys. One of them was Jake who everyone thought had been long gone. Another one was Blake, the trainer that Tadashi battled not too long after Jake.

The two boys panted heavily as they paused inside the Pokemon Center. The nurse looked worriedly at the two boys.

"What's the matter?" She inquired, painfully aware of the panicked expressions on their features.

Jake had a few burns on his arm and Blake just looked worn out after helping Jake get to the center. Clarice smelled something fishy about the situation but decided not to bother with it just yet.

"There's...a...group of people...wearing red suits...they're at Geosenge and on route ten...they're attacking other trainers that go near the town!" Jake managed to say as he winced from the burns.

"That's awful!" The nurse exclaimed, looking over the boy's wounds.

'I should probably tell Tadashi and Victor...' Clarice thought to herself as she stood up swiftly.

Jake looked out of the corner of his eye to see Clarice making her way towards the stairs. She didn't even seem to notice him, at least he thought she didn't. He wasn't aware of the change that had come over her yet so he assumed she didn't care.

Clarice knocked on Tadashi and Victor's doors.

"Guys, we have a problem" She said firmly.

"Whatever it is, can it wait til later? I'm hungry..." Victor called out with a grumble.

"No, in fact it can't. Now either you get out here or I'll bust down the door and give you something to complain about!" Clarice snapped.

"What's up Clarice?" Tadashi said as he opened his door.

"Team Flare, that's what's up" Clarice replied sharply.

"Wait, what?!" Victor said as he flung his door open, not liking the mention of that group.

"You heard me, Team Flare is up to something. I know because your little friend from before ran in with another buddy of his covered in burns" Clarice stated with a stern expression.

'Jake...' Tadashi thought as he remembered the smiling young lad with the fletchling. Without another word, Tadashi took off running downstairs.

"Wait up Tadashi!" Victor and Clarice called after him, pursuing Tadashi swiftly.

As Tadashi entered the main lounge he saw Jake sitting next to another familiar boy, Blake, the boy with the Doduo. As Clarice had described, Jake was burned and Blake was scratched up a little as well. Tadashi narrowed his eyes at the scene and clenched his fists.

"Those bullies..." Tadashi said through gritted teeth.

Blake looked up to see Tadashi and was shocked that he was able to catch up to him so soon. Jake even looked up, though he was still in pain.

"Hey Tadashi..." Jake said softly, trying to stand only to stumble a bit, causing Blake to stabilize him.

Tadashi tilted his head slightly at Blake, wondering why he was with Jake in the first place. On top of that, he seemed to have a different attitude about him now. Could it have been due to their battle? Tadashi wasn't sure, but he knew that now wasn't the time to be worrying about that.

"Jake...what happened to you two?" Tadashi asked seriously.

Victor and Clarice had already walked up beside Tadashi as Jake was about to explain again.

"Well, Blake and I were heading towards route ten, he said something about wanting to catch a stronger Pokemon to battle with. We managed to win against Grant after a few tries and were on our way to Geosenge when we came upon these people in red suits. They were trying to convince people to join their ranks, saying something about a new order and flames of revolution. When the people refused, they attacked. Blake and I tried to defend them, but they had someone with them wearing a white suit. He was bald and looked really mean. He had this Houndoom that turned into something I'd never seen before...we didn't stand a chance..." Jake explained.

"That man..." Tadashi thought as his mind went back to the Glittering Cave.

"So you know of it. Perfect...to commemorate your findings I will bathe your bodies in fire. Your cries will be the signal flare that sets off the flames of revolution! Our will shall not be denied!"

Those words rang through his mind as he remembered the power of that Houndoom as it sent an intense fire blast their way. Had it not been for Victor and his Kadabra, they might...no they wouldn't have gotten out of there alive.

"This is bad..." Victor said as he turned towards Tadashi.

"They will stop at nothing to achieve their goals" Victor stated, getting a raised brow from Clarice.

"And just what is their goal?" Clarice inquired curiously.

"One word...purification..." Victor said with clenched fists.

"Purification or genocide?" Tadashi asked, getting the feeling that was what he meant.

"Listen you guys...Team Flare is ruthless and cruel. At first they started off promising a cleaner world and people seemed on board with the idea...until they became more aggressive. People were lulled into a false sense of security. Team Flare is much more active than they were in previous years. I know because my grandfather worked for them at one point. He was a scientist in their lab and helped with a few projects here and there. But when he quit...they knew they couldn't let him roam free, not after he found out what their true objective was. It was madness..." Victor said through gritted teeth.

"So they did him in?" Tadashi asked, getting a nod from Victor.

"Ye..yeah...but not before he left a note for my parents to find. Needless to say, the group went underground and for the longest time nobody heard from them. All of the people working for Team Flare seemingly returned to their 'normal' lives, nobody suspecting them to be working for such a dangerous organization. They started working in secret for a while and nobody could find their base of operations" Victor explained.

"Not to sound rude...but we need to get a move on. People need help and also...Team Flare is in our way since we need to get through Geosenge Town in order to get to the next city for our next badge" Clarice pointed out.

"She's got a point Victor...though your story provides us with enough insight to know that we are dealing with much more than your typical criminals" Tadashi turned to Jake who was now sitting down with Blake.

"Make sure he gets medical attention Blake...we'll take it from here" Tadashi assured him.

"You'd better not get yourself hurt. We have a rematch remember?!" Blake said with a determined gaze.

"Don't worry about me, and as for our rematch, you can count on it" Tadashi said, giving him a thumbs up.

"We're wasting time here..." Clarice grumbled, reminding the two boys of the urgency of the situation with her irritated tone of voice.

Without another word the trio darted out the door towards route ten. It didn't take them long to reach. There were several people groaning in pain on the ground with burn marks on their clothes and skin. This was just the start of the route. Tadashi clenched his fists in anger as he observed the scene. To him this was absolutely unforgivable. Team Flare's cruelty seemed to know no bounds and this just proved it. Just a ways behind them stood a bi-pedal dog-like pokemon with long ears and predominantly blue and black fur with a cream colored chest. Small black appendages were seen on its head and had a very specific use.

The appendages rose up as it observed Tadashi. In his eyes, Tadashi had a royal blue aura. According to studies, there are several types of auras a person possess and they all have different color. Royal Blue is a powerful one because it represents a giving spirit. A person with any blue aura are usually leaned on for support. They are spiritually intuitive, or clairvoyant. The love helping others and are open to new ideas and possibilities. Needless to say, this aura interested the Pokemon greatly. Hearing noise behind it the Pokemon turned to see its owner.

Fires were starting to spread on the route which would be bad news if they got any farther along.

"Wartortle, Frogadier use water pulse!" Clarice called out, sending her pokemon to the scene to take care of the mess.

"Corphish help out with bubble beam!" Victor called out, sending out the crab-like Pokemon.

Clarice and Victor's team put out the flames before they could spread any farther. Tadashi made his way to some of the people, helping some who were still conscious to stand.

"Thank you youngsters..." An elderly man said wearing gardeners clothes said weakly.

"Not a problem...you just try to get to safety. We'll handle things from here..." Tadashi said as he sat the man down again as he was too weak to stand.

"Uh...guys...we have another problem..." Victor said, pointing to a group wearing red suits heading their way led by the Admin in a white suit.

"Great...just great..." Clarice muttered, turning with her team to face the group.

"Looks like we meet again. I thought for sure you'd stay out of our way after our first encounter..." The man in the white suit said, his eyes narrowing behind his red sunglasses.

"We're not ones to just run and hide...we're not cowards" Tadashi spat, glaring at the man with disgust.

"You mean like you didn't run in the Glittering Cave?" The Admin said with a smirk.

"That wasn't planned..." Tadashi mumbled.

"Oh, so you originally planned to face your deaths like heroes? And here I thought you were yellow bellied..." The Admin grinned.

"The only cowards around here are you...where do you get off hurting innocent people?!" Tadashi snarled. He was not in the mood for games.

The Admin looked around at the people that were lying around unconscious and the ones that were just getting up to escape. A laugh escaped his lips as he turned back to Tadashi.

"Do you really think these people are innocent? Look at them. Wasting their lives when they could be doing something greater. This world has no need for people like them. We as Team Flare have risen up to cleanse this world of selfish individuals in the name of our leader and purpose. The flames of revolution have already begun, and you're just fuel for the fire..." the man said as he tossed out the pokeball containing Houndoom.

Tadashi stepped back after seeing the Houndoom again. He remembered the intensity of the flames it shot. He felt the heat as it got closer, just before he was teleported out. The Admin activated the mega ring causing the stone around Houndooms neck to glow and encase him in a powerful aura. Mega Houndoom was back. The sound of its battle cried filled the trio's ears, filling them with undeniable fear. A crimson aura radiated from Houndooom to add to the intimidation factor. It was as if they were staring right into the face of death itself.

"You three may have escaped before, but this time there is no escape!" The man stated, snapping his fingers for the other red suited individuals to send out their pokemon.

They all sent out a Houndour who set a circle of fire around the trio. There was no getting out of this one. Victor could use Kadabra but by the time he got it out he would be burned to a crisp. He already had Corphish to work with. Clarice had her two water types but Tadashi hadn't sent out a Pokemon yet.

Tadashi picked up Braixen's pokeball and sent her out along with Cubone to defend. The two Pokemon came out and assumed a defensive stance near Tadashi.

"How perfect, you can all burn with your Pokemon!" The man said as he snapped his fingers, signaling his group to attack.

Each Houndour shot a burst of flames towards the group who responded in kind by retaliating with attacks of their own. Water clashed with fire as well as earth in a heated struggle. Steam blinded their sight which wasn't a good thing since the Houndoom was now standing right in front of them with the man as well.

"Burn..." The man stated with venom dripping from the single word.

As Mega Houndoom charged up his attack, an orb of blue light pushed through the steam and knocked the Mega Houndoom back several feet. The man turned around to see his Pokemon rising to stand. He turned towards the trio, wondering what could have done that.

When the fog lifted, a bi-pedal dog pokemon could be seen standing next to the group. Something was different about it however. Its thighs had slimmed down a bit and some of its fur, particularly the paws and leg fur had changed to black and crimson. Markings were drawn down its blue fur and the cream fur on its chest had expanded a bit more. The black appendages also became longer and two of them had scarlet tips. Spikes could be seen on its paws and shoulders as well as his feet. A powerful aura emanated from it.

Tadashi couldn't help but stare at the powerful looking Pokemon. But what was it? Tadashi quickly took out his pokedex to find out.

"Lucario, the Aura Pokemon. Lucario reads the thoughts of others and anticipates their movements by sensing their auras" the pokedex informed.

"This must be his mega form then...he looks nothing like his entry..." Tadashi muttered to himself as he watched the Pokemon in action.

"Lucario move in with bone rush!" A female voice echoed out.

Mega Lucario obeyed the voice and formed a long bone in his hands which he wielded like a staff. Mega Lucario took off at incredible speeds and swung the bone right for the Mega Houndoom's face. The hell hound saw it coming and avoided it just in time. The two Mega's glared at one another, the tension between them building as their battle began.

"Houndoom, flamethrower!" The man in white shouted.

"Use the bone to spin it away!" The female trainer called out, finally coming into view.

She wore a white and red dress and sported black shorts beneath them. She had on roller-blades and a helmet that matched the dress. Her hair was blond and was sticking out in an obnoxiously long ponytail in the back and long bangs on the sides. She also had gloves that matched her outfit, one of which had a key stone in it.

Her Lucario spun the bone staff in his hand, deterring the flames from his body. The flames diminished and Mega Lucario brandished its staff before him like a lancer would.

"Lucario, use bone rush once more and follow it up with powerup punch!" Korinna called out.

He obeyed, charging towards Mega Houndoom while swinging the bone staff once more. The attack connected this time and sent the hell hound flying across the field. The bone disappeared as Mega Lucario raced forwards, its fist surrounded by light as it brought it right into the side of the hound, sending it tumbling back again. Struggling to stand, the hell hound glared at its attacker with malicious intent. An immense hatred was born in that moment. It wanted blood.

"Houndoom, return" the man in white stated, returning the corrupt canine to his ball and turning away.

"Hey, where are you going?!" Tadashi called out.

"We have no further need to stay here. It's a waste of our time and effort. Our leader needs to see us and if we do not do as he says well...it won't do for that to happen now would it?" The Admin said with a smirk.

"You got off easy, you've been rescued again like the children you are. Should we cross paths again you won't be so lucky..." The man warned as he walked off towards Geosenge town, the rest of the team in tow.

After Team Flare left, Tadashi turned around to see a now regular looking Lucario staring at him intently. Their eyes met with intense focus.

"Looks like my Lucario finds you interesting..." The girl said as she skated up to the trio.

"Thanks for the help, had you not showed up we probably would have been burned to a crisp..." Victor said sheepishly.

"Don't sweat it, I saw you guys were in a pinch, and that nasty Team Flare has been grating on my nerves as of late..." the girl grumbled.

"I can see why, they have terrible fashion sense as well as view points..." Clarice spat, clearly irritated about what happened.

"Agreed..." the girl said as she turned towards Tadashi.

"I'm Korrina, by the way" she said with a soft smile.

"My name's Tadashi, and these are my friends Victor and Clarice..." Tadashi replied.

"Again with the introducing me? What did I tell you about that Tadashi?" Clarice growled.

"Sorry, I figured I'd saved us some time" Tadashi said, rolling his eyes as he glanced back at Korrina.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you all. I hope that we cross paths again. I'm the Gym Leader back at Shalour City. Stop by there if you're ever ready to rumble" Korrina said with a grin.

"Why wait? Why not battle now?" Victor grinned, earning a raised brow from Korrina.

"Well, it needs to be in the Gym. And besides, I have to get back to the city. There are a few things I need to take care of before any of that happens" Korrina said as she began to skate off.

The Lucario took his eyes off of Tadashi and walked over to his owner, looking into her eyes for a moment before glancing back at Tadashi.

"My Lucario says he's interested in your aura...he says you have an aura of virtue...and I can tell just by looking at you that you're a good person. I have a feeling we'll be meeting for a battle real soon. And to tell you the truth, I can't wait" Korrina said with a grin.

"Me either!" Tadashi said with an excited tone of voice.

Korrina waved goodbye and made her way towards Geosenge Town where she would journey back to Shalour City. Tadashi and the gang decided to head back to Cyllage City, helping those who were still injured get medical attention. By this time it was mid afternoon. Tadashi checked to see if Jake and Blake were okay which they were to his relief. The nurse suggested that the two stay a little longer before venturing out on their own. After a quick heal for saftey's sake, the gang set out for Geosenge Town which was the next stop on their journey to Shalour City.

_**And that marks the end of another one. Tadashi and his friends ran into Team Flare and had another close encounter. But thanks to Korrina and her Mega Lucario, they were able to get away. Fortune smiled upon them for certain. Now they are heading towards Geosenge Town where other challenges await them. Just what was Team Flare doing there on route ten? What will they do next? All will be revealed soon so stay tuned! **_


	9. Chapter 9

**Aloha and Mahalo to everyone who has been reading and reviewing as well! Seriously, thanks a lot this is awesome. Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed the previous chapter. It looks like Clarice is starting to soften up...or maybe a Tepig grew wings? Highly unlikely. Regardless, a weight has been lifted off of her chest and she can start to slowly let down her walls. Sadly, she still has to warm up to Victor who she still finds rather annoying. Tadashi just graduated from irritating to tolerable. Let's see if he can make it to the next level! Anyway, that aside, let's get this next chapter rolling! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 9: The Beauty of the Shadows**

The gang was making their way up route ten when they spotted several large stones sticking out of the ground. Tadashi glanced up at them curiously, wondering exactly what they were.

"These things are huge..." Victor commented, placing a hand on one of the structures in front of him.

"I wonder what they're for..." Clarice thought out loud, looking up at them as well.

"Well, according to this...Geosenge is known for having ancient artifacts and such. Maybe these stones are part of that" Tadashi said as he pulled up the information about the town on his pokedex.

"Ancient artifacts eh? This could be interesting" Victor mused.

Tadashi shrugged and closed his pokedex, pocketing it as he continued walking. The trail was relatively peaceful for the most part. They hadn't run into anymore Team Flare grunts so that was a relief. Still, Tadashi couldn't shake the feeling that it was almost too peaceful.

Hiding behind one of the stones was a young girl about Clarice's age. She wore a designer hat nestled on top of her long black locks which draped over her shoulders, and bangs hung over her left eye. She had light brown eyes and slightly tanned skin. Her top was like that of a female hip-hop artist, stopping just above the naval, showing some of her tummy. She wore a pair of cargo pants with one side rolled up and a pair of sneakers. At her side sat a quadruped mammal Pokemon with a bluish-gray body veiled in soft white fur. At the top of its head rested a black oval. It's eyes were crimson and it had a feline like face. On the side of its head was a curved sickle-like horn and its tail was like a scythe. It had a mega stone strapped around its neck.

The girl watched as the group went by and simply sighed to herself.

'This isn't going to be easy...' she thought to herself.

The girl looked down at her holo caster as it went off. She hit the mechanism on the device and a hologram of a woman dressed in a red zip up collared shirt with a purple tie. She had two pauldrens on her shoulders that matched her attire. A belt with a white metal plate baring a flaming 'F' on it could be seen. She sported dark brown leggings and shoes that matched her top. The woman had short purple hair and was wearing a purple visor to match it.

"What, Celosia?" The girl asked, seeing her superior's hologram.

"Now now Trinity, is that any way to greet your friend?" Celosia said with a playful smirk.

"I'm not in the mood Celosia...what is that you want?" Trinity snapped back.

"Testy today aren't we? Have you found them?" Celosia inquired, curious to know if Trinity was on their trail.

"Yes, I've located them. They're heading for Geosenge right now" Trinity stated, reaching out to stroke her Absol behind the ears.

"Good, deter them from that Town...we can't afford anymore slip ups. Tyson informed me that they aren't much of a threat right now. But if they keep ruining our plans, they could potentially become a thorn in our side. So tag along with them, have fun...make friends...and then do what you always do after earning their trust," Celosia smirked as she winked out before Trinity could reply.

"Sometimes, I hate that woman..." Trinity spat as she put her holo caster away.

Trinity stood up and turned around to glance at where the trainers were. She noticed that they were making their way inside the Pokemon Center which was convenient for her. She needed to visit the shop section to pick up some supplies anyway. A grin crossed her face as she headed towards the center.

Tadashi sat down at one of the tables and looked at a menu. It had been a while since the gang had eaten. Clarice picked up a magazine as usual while Victor was tending to one of his Pokemon. The Pokemon was in the shape of a pupas, and was a quadruped. It had three ridges on the top of its body and there were bone structures covering the rest of it forming a shell structure. There was a small opening in the front, revealing two golden draconic optics. This was Shelgon.

The food soon came to their table and the gang put down whatever they were doing to eat. Tadashi dove into his potatoes, showing that he was extremely hungry by devouring most of them almost instantaneously. Clarice sweat-dropped at the sight and simply picked up her fork and stabbed a piece of chicken with it.

"Your food isn't going anywhere Tadashi..." Victor commented as he cut a piece of steak and popped it into his mouth.

"Sorry, I was just hungry," Tadashi said as he slowed down the eating process.

The doors to the Pokemon Center opened and Trinity walked inside. She glanced around until she spotted the group, a smirk now resting on her features.

'Time to lay on the charm...' She thought as she made her way over to the group.

"How's it goin' fellow trainers?" She asked in a vivacious manner.

Tadashi quirked a brow and looked up to see Trinity was over his shoulder reaching for a piece of chicken. He watched as she popped a small piece in her mouth and swallowed. Clarice looked appalled and Victor was confused. Tadashi was rather taken aback by this action.

"Oh, sorry...were you gonna eat that?" Trinity asked, seemingly bewildered.

"I was...yes..." Tadashi said with a grimace.

"My bad, I was just so hungry and that little piece looked really good" Trinity said with a nervous laugh.

"It's fine...I have more..." Tadashi said as he continued eating, rather annoyed by the appearance of the girl.

"By the way, the name's Trinity, and who might you be handsome?" Trinity asked Tadashi, causing Clarice to raise a brow.

"The name's Tadashi...may we help you?" Tadashi inquired, pausing his meal to look directly at the girl.

Despite her coming off as annoying from the start, she seemed rather nice. She was also quite attractive which Victor seemed to notice right away because he was sizing her up while she was doing the same to Tadashi but for different reasons.

'Tadashi...so he's the one Tyson said wreaked havoc with a Cubone in Glittering Cave...I'm surprised he was able to take out so many at once...Cubone aren't exactly known for their valor, they're little cry babies...he must be a pretty decent trainer. He also seems like the leader of the group, and getting cozy with him is my best bet at this point' Trinity thought as she stared at him intently.

Her eyes shifted to the side to notice Victor was inspecting her. She narrowed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath.

"Excuse me one second Tadashi..." Trinity said as she turned to glare at Victor, leaning down to look him in the eyes.

"Do you mind? It's rude to stare you know?!" She snarled, causing Victor to hold up his hands defensively.

"My bad, I just liked your outfit that's all" Victor stated as he leaned back in his seat.

'That was a nice view...' Victor thought, making a mental list of other qualities about Trinity that he liked.

Clarice couldn't help but chuckle which caused Tadashi and Victor to tilt their heads in unison. That was the second time Clarice had laughed, albeit it was at Victor's expense.

"I rather like this girl, aside from the rude mannerisms she knows how to handle herself" Clarice said with a sly smirk.

"Why thank you, I try my best" Trinity said as she mock bowed.

"Classy..." Clarice mumbled.

Trinity turned to face Tadashi again, leaning her elbows on the back of the booth he was sitting in.

"So Tadashi, aren't you going to introduce your friends?" Trinity inquired, causing Tadashi to stop eating.

"Well, the one you scolded is Victor. The one over there doesn't like me introducing her so I'll just let her do the talking so she doesn't throw a fit" Tadashi said with a smirk.

"You know...I was going to let you do it just this once without causing a scene, but now I want to throw you out the window..." Clarice replied, her eyebrow twitching out of irritation.

"Someone's got their undies in a bunch..." Trinity whispered to Tadashi.

"I heard that!" Clarice growled.

"Calm down Clarice, she didn't mean anything by it, she was probably joking" Victor stated, keeping Clarice from leaping over the table like he knew she would.

"So it's Clarice huh? That's a pretty name, it suits a girl like you," Trinity said with a smirk.

"And yours is rather nice yourself, though the same thing couldn't be said for your taste in fashion...but then again we can't have everything now can we?" Clarice said as she picked up her glass of orange juice.

"No, I suppose not," Trinity said, her brow twitching out of annoyance as well.

'Note to self...save her for last so it will be more enjoyable...' Trinity thought as she glanced back at Tadashi.

"So...by the looks of things you three are on a journey right?" Trinity inquired, resting her chin between her palms as she kept her eyes on Tadashi.

"Yeah, though it didn't start out with the three of us together, I just sorta...ran into them" Tadashi said with a nervous laugh.

"I see, I've always wanted to go on a journey myself. I never really got the chance to though..." Trinity said as she glanced over at Clarice and then at Victor.

'This must have been the guy who got them out of the jam...Tyson mentioned something about a third party member in the cave. He had a Kadabra...' Trinity thought as she glanced back at Clarice.

'So she's got a Frogadier and a Wartortle from what I was told. Not bad missy...they're both good but will that be enough?' She grinned to herself glancing back at Tadashi.

'The other Pokemon Tyson mentioned Tadashi having on him was a Braixen. An interesting choice to say the least. I just need to get more information on these trainers and learn their weaknesses...and to do that, I need to join their group,' Trinity thought as she watched them all continue their meal.

"Well..." Tadashi began, looking at his friends before glancing back at Trinity.

"We could use another friend, this way there will be another girl in the group and Clarice won't feel so outnumbered" Tadashi chuckled.

"Hey, I don't remember hinting that I liked her enough to have her around" Clarice piped up.

"He's got a point Clarice, you need another girl in the group so you can have someone else to talk to besides us guys" Victor said with a smirk.

"I suppose...alright fine, but if she annoys me don't be surprised if you find her tied up and in a ditch somewhere" Clarice grumbled.

'She's got quite a temper there...it's borderline scary...' Trinity thought nervously as she looked over at Tadashi.

"So is that a yes?" Trinity inquired, tilting her head curiously as she awaited Tadashi's answer.

"Yep, welcome to the team" Tadashi said with a soft smile.

'Flawless...I was beginning to think that Miss 'I'm so fabulous' over there was going to give me trouble. Boys are so easily swayed it's not even funny...' Trinity thought as she stayed where she was.

"So, Tadashi, got a girlfriend?" Trinity asked curiously.

"Don't push your luck..." Clarice growled.

"Whoa there, I was just askin' no need to get upset" Trinity said defensively.

Tadashi decided not to respond to that statement, however he did wonder why Clarice chose that moment to speak up.

"I don't have one" Victor said with a smirk.

"I wasn't asking you!" Trinity shot back.

"Sheesh, I'm just trying to have a little fun, lighten up," Victor laughed.

'Victor seems really tough to read. I can't tell if he's joking or serious. He also seems like a strong trainer and yet he looks so relaxed. I'd better be on my guard' Trinity thought as she turned towards Tadashi.

"Well, let me know if you ever want to hook up sometime, until then how about we all try to get along huh?" Trinity said with a sly smile.

"Sure...I guess?" Tadashi replied, finishing up his meal and leaning back.

"I think we'll get along just fine" Victor said with a grin.

"Victor, if you're going to size a girl up, do it more subtly..." Trinity said with a playful smirk.

"Says the one who just asked Tadashi if he had a girlfriend..." Clarice muttered, looking away while taking a sip of her orange juice.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Trinity replied.

"Nothing, never mind" Clarice waved her off.

Victor soon finished his food and Clarice ate the last bite of her plate before standing up. Tadashi had already gone outside to wait for them. Trinity made it a point to follow Tadashi. After all, it was her duty to get as much information on those three as possible. She couldn't afford to lose sight of them, not with so much on the line.

"So Tadashi, what's your story?" Trinity asked, getting around in front of him and placing her hands behind her back, bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet.

Tadashi quirked a brow at her question. She didn't seem to mind trying to find out what made others tick. Tadashi paused for a moment and looked into those light brown eyes. There was something rather off about Trinity. She seemed rather eager to join the trio and managed to do so rather easily. While it was good to have another female in the group, he still couldn't help but wonder what she was all about. After deliberating it in his head, he sighed and began to speak.

"I'm just a kid with a dream to travel around every region and compete in every League. I recently started my journey so I don't have a ton of experience," Tadashi admitted.

"Really? You look like you know quite a lot though. And if you say you're on a journey, that means you've already got two badges right?" Trinity inquired, eager to know more.

"Uh...right...though they were tough to earn I managed to do it," Tadashi said with a nervous laugh, scratching his head lightly as he spoke.

"See? You've got some experience. And I'm certain you'll gain more along the way," Trinity said with a bright smile.

At that point, Clarice and Victor stepped out of the Pokemon Center and walked over to Tadashi and Trinity.

"Well, are we ready to go?" Victor questioned.

"Yep, I'm ready to go. How about you Clarice?" Tadashi asked, getting a simple nod from her.

"Okay, I guess we're on our way" Tadashi concluded, turing to Trinity who waited to follow.

The trio became a squad and were now on their way towards Route 11 which would lead them to Reflection Cave.

As they were on their way, Tadashi's holo caster began beeping, prompting him to stop and open his backpack to see who was contacting him. It was Sycamore.

"Bonjour! Good to see you again Tadashi, I see you've finally met Clarice and Victor" Sycamore stated with a bright smile.

"Yeah, I met them a while ago Professor, we decided to team up and complete our journey together" Tadashi said with a chuckle.

"I see, tres bien! And who's this young lady?" Sycamore inquired, glancing over at Trinity.

"This is Trinity, she just joined the group" Tadashi said as Trinity waved to Sycamore.

"Magnifique! The more the merrier am I right? Anyways, Tadashi, I've arranged for a meeting for you three with Gurkinn, he's the one in charge of the Tower of Mastery in Shalour City. He has a little something for you three that I think you'll like" Sycamore stated before winking out.

"I wonder what he meant by that..." Tadashi thought as he put his holo caster away.

"Oh! I know that place!" Trinity exclaimed excitedly.

"You do?" Tadashi and the other two said in unison.

"Mhm, it's where Mega Evolution is taught. Well...the concept is clarified at least" Trinity explained.

Of course she would know about this. Unknown to them, she had a Mega Absol which was by far her favorite. It's Mega Evolution looked so majestic.

"I see, so if we go there we'll learn more about Mega Evolution...well, what are we waiting for?!" Victor shouted enthusiastically.

Tadashi and Clarice nodded and continued walking with the group, Tadashi taking the front while Victor and Clarice hung back. Trinity seemed insistent of walking next to Tadashi. Clarice seemed a bit flustered by this although she refused to make mention of it.

The route wasn't a very long one, but the gang had stopped a few times due to meeting other trainers along the way. Tadashi secured some wins, as did his friends. Some of the trainers they fought were amazed at how strong they were. They obviously weren't expecting a group like theirs to come by.

Tadashi still couldn't wrap his mind around Trinity. The Pokemon she used were amazing. In one battle she used a Doublade while in another she used a Fraxure. And another battle involved her using a Bisharp. Even more surprising was the fully evolved Chandelure she carried. It was obvious to the group that she wasn't a beginner. Her command over the battle field was second to none it seemed.

The squad finally made it to Reflection Cave which was the last thing between them and Shalour City. The group was determined to make it through this cave without getting lost.

"So...what's up with this cave? All of the stones in here are like mirrors," Tadashi said aloud, looking around for an explanation.

"Well, that's essentially the point. Their reflective surfaces allow one to see someone on the other side of the surface. It's quite nifty," Trinity said with a smirk.

"You sure know a lot..." Clarice observed, wondering what the deal was with Trinity.

She already boasted considerable strength with her team of Pokemon, however she couldn't help but get the feeling Trinity was hiding something. Like, what would a talented girl like herself want with three beginning trainers who barely started their journey? It just didn't add up. She sensed something fishy, but the way the girl acted it was hard to pin a label on her at all. Clarice made a note to keep an eye on her.

Tadashi couldn't help but also be suspicious. Sure, Trinity was easy going and vivacious, but something seemed a little out of place. He and Clarice exchanged knowing looks before looking away from one another.

It took them a while to reach the end of the cave as they once more found themselves battling several trainers before finally reaching the end of the cave.

"And here we are!" Trinity chirped, stepping out into the mid-afternoon sun.

"So that's Shalour City..." Tadashi said as he glanced at the scenery.

"This place is incredible!" Clarice exclaimed, her eyes catching sight of the beach. There were many places to get a good view from too.

"Hang on a sec, we first need to get to the Tower of Mastery before we do anything else" Tadashi stated, glancing over at a rather imposing building in the distance.

"And I think I've found it..." Tadashi said, staring at the great structure.

"Yep, that's it! It's a really cool place, you'll like it" Trinity said with a bright smile, draping her arms around Tadashi, not caring much for personal space.

"So, Tadashi, have you thought about it yet?" Trinity inquired, referring to her 'girlfriend' inquirey from before.

Trinity glanced over at Clarice who seemed to display signs of frustration whenever she got too close to Tadashi, this was just icing on the cake. All she needed to do was put the cherry on top, but that would have to wait for another day. The key to figuring out any groups weakness is always in the approach. For Clarice, it was obviously her temper. Victor was a sinch, he couldn't take his eyes off of her even if he tried. Tadashi on the other hand was a bit more difficult to figure out.

Tadashi blushed slightly and coughed before moving out of her embrace.

"I don't think that's up for discussion Trinity...I barely know you" Tadashi said as he looked up at the Tower of Mastery.

"Well, whenever it is, you know what to do" Trinity winked.

She could tell that she was getting to Clarice. Every now and again she'd glance over at Tadashi which signified there was some sort of connection between them. They weren't dating, otherwise she'd be all over him. So what was it? Perhaps she was just intimidated by Trinity's presence, after all she was also very attractive and had Victor oggling her from time to time. Victor feigned innocence but she knew he was checking her out. With a figure like hers, who wouldn't?

Tadashi, however, was going to be a tough nut to crack. In the meantime, she would have to make due with whatever she could get.

The group made their way over to the Tower of Mastery and looked up at the symbol of power. There were statues of Lucario inside the tower and some information on why they were there. It was believed that Lucario was the first Mega Evolution discovery. As the group looked around, the doors to a section of the tower opened up and a man in gray and red clothing came out. The man had gray eyes and the most bushy eyebrows anyone ever laid eyes on.

The older man looked around at the teens as they admired the contents of the tower.

"Judging by the number of you, I'd say you're the lot Sycamore informed me was coming," The old man deduced, glancing past Tadashi to see Trinity, a familiar face to him.

"Trinity? What a surprise, I wasn't expecting to see you back here," the old man said with a surprised expression.

"Oh hey Gurkinn, yeah, I met up with these three on my way out of Geosenge so yeah...I'm back" Trinity said with a soft smile.

"Well it's good to see you" Gurkinn smiled.

"You know him?" Tadashi inquired of Trinity, getting a nervous laugh from her.

"Yeah, we met a while back, he taught me about Mega Evolution and all that good stuff" Trinity said, scratching her head nervously.

"That's right, I did. And now it seems she's brought me you three. Come, we have much to discuss," Gurkinn said as he ushered the three inside.

Trinity decided to wait outside and find a place to get some privacy.

She turned on the holo caster and checked her messages. There were none yet which she was thankful for. Between Celosia and the other scientists, there was only so much she could stand. After checking her messages she decided it would be best to stand outside the tower and wait for them. She sighed softly and looked down at the ground. She wondered if going in there was such a good idea. Little did they know that she was also collecting badges.

It was the perfect cover for her and it provided her with something to do on her missions. So far this one was going rather smoothly. She just needed to make sure she stayed away from the Gyms until they reached Laverre City, the one place she hadn't been to yet.

Inside the tower, the gang and Gurkinn continued talking about Mega Evolution. Gurkinn seemed very passionate about the topic and went on for quite some time before pausing to pull out a box.

"These are mega rings" Gurkinn explained as he opened up the box.

"Wear these when you battle, and you'll be able to take your Pokemon beyond its normal capabilities. When you battle, if your bond is strong and your Pokemon are ready, they will ascend the ladder of power. Each of you has a Pokemon that can Mega Evolve when fully evolved. Now...Clarice, I believe you have a Steelix am I correct?" Gurkinn inquired.

"Uh, yes, that's right, why?" Clarice questioned.

"I have just the thing for you then. We came across this months ago, but none of us had any use for it" Gurkinn stated, handing her a mega stone for Steelix.

Clarice's eyes went wide as she looked at the stone. She could mega evolve her Pokemon now, and it was Steelix that would get that special treatment. She couldn't have asked for a better situation.

The doors to the room they were in opened and Korrina walked in.

"Oh, hey Tadashi!" Korrina greeted, not expecting to see him there this soon.

"Hey Korrina" Tadasahi replied with a smile.

"Heya Gramps" Korrina said as she greeted her grandfather.

"Gramps?" Victor questioned, tilting his head slightly at the man as Korrina stood beside him. Now that he looked at it, he could see the resemblence.

"I was just telling these youngsters about the wonders of Mega Evolution. From what you've told me, they saw its power first hand huh?" Gurkinn said, getting an affirmative nod from Korrina.

"In order to defeat Mega Evolved Pokemon, having one that can Mega Evolve is a good thing. I hope you all learned something today" Gurkinn said as he began to walk out of the building.

"Hey Tadashi...mind if we talk for a bit?" Korinna inquired as the others wandered off to see the city.

"Uh, sure, what's up?" Tadashi asked curiously.

"I can't help but think about yesterday. Lucario really seemed drawn to your aura, a lot more than it was to mine. He told me that you have an interesting aura and that he wants to see more of it. I know this may seem a little strange, but do you want to have Lucario in your party?" Korrina inquired, causing Tadashi to double back in shock.

"You mean, you'd just give him to me?!" Tadashi said with wide eyes.

"Well...I have two, but this one just seems to be so taken by you. Sure we've battled together, but from how it looked at you that day, it was as if you two had a strong connection. So I'll ask you again..." Korrina stated, taking out the pokeball, "Do you want him?"

Tadashi glanced at the pokeball with Lucario resting inside. He didn't know what it was, but something was calling him to take it. With a hesitant motion he took the ball from Korrina and soon a holographic display shot out from his pokedex asking if he wanted to transfer Lucario to the PC or another pokemon to keep him in the party. Tadashi thought about it for a while before sending Skiddo to the PC.

"It's a hard thing for me to do, but he wants what he wants I guess" Korrina said with a sigh.

"Thanks...I don't know what to say" Tadashi said as he looked down at his new partner's ball.

"How about you thank me by battling me in the Gym?" Korrina said with a smirk.

"Korrina, you're on!" Tadashi exclaimed.

_**So there it is! Tadashi received Lucario! Too bad he had to send Skiddo to the PC for a while. Don't worry, the little loveable grass goat will be back! In the meantime, let me know what you thought of this chapter. Did you like the addition of Trinity? Let me know in the reviews! More to come on Flames of Revolution! **_


	10. Chapter 10

**Good morning! Mango here with another chapter ready to go. So, how did you all like the last chapter? It took me a while to put together Trinity and I had to find a good time to place her in the story. Honestly I couldn't resist the concept of having a spy in the group. Team Flare didn't really have anything of the sort as far as I saw so I thought I'd have a little fun with the idea of it. I hope she starts to grow on some of you because she'll be around for a while. Anywhoooo, let's get started! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 10: Aura Talk, the Rumble Begins! **

Tadashi was standing outside of the Tower of Mastery holding Lucario's pokeball in his hand. He didn't know why but he felt incredible power radiating from it. He knew Lucario was inside, but there was something strange about this feeling, he wasn't sure what but he'd find out soon enough. He released Lucario from his pokeball and watched as the bi-pedal canine appeared before him.

Tadashi then proceeded to release all of his Pokemon to greet Lucario. Braixen chirped happily as she saw her trainer. Her eyes moved to his shoulder, her instinct to reclaim that spot still a part of her but alas, she was too big now.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Lucario, he's part of the team now so let's make him feel welcome okay?" Tadashi said with a soft smile.

Cubone tilted his head up at Lucario and scratched his skull. Braixen and Kirlia walked over to Lucario curiously. Charmeleon acknowledged Lucario's presence by extending a claw to shake which Lucario took. Tyrunt looked up at Lucario with a bewildered expression. It tapped Lucario's leg lightly with its head and found it to be steel-like and more solid than anything he'd bitten into before. He contemplated biting but with a look from Tadashi that thought was put aside.

"Listen you guys, I've got a Gym battle today. Clarice and Victor are going before me so I'm deciding on a strategy. From the looks of things she uses fighting types so Kirlia I'll be needing you," Tadashi smirked.

Kirlia bowed gracefully before walking over to Tadashi, taking his hand and nuzzling it softly.

"Let's see who else...Braixen, you're my next pick partner," Tadashi said with a soft smile.

Braixen yipped happily at this and walked over to him, nuzzling into his side.

"Let's see...I think I'll go with Charmeleon," Tadashi said, causing the fire lizard to send a burst of flames into the sky, signaling his approval.

"Okay that makes three...and since Lucario is new to the team I think I'll have him battle as well," Tadashi said as he glanced back at Lucario who looked at him intently.

Lucario could see the aura around Tadashi still burned brighter than ever. It was what drew Lucario to Tadashi, he'd never seen anything like it before. It was powerful and soothing too. Tadashi resonated with his aura, his actions matching his words from what he could tell. He had a love for helping others and his Pokemon were drawn to him so easily.

'Your aura...it's beautiful...' a voice inside of Tadashi's head spoke, causing Tadashi to look around.

"Who said that?" Tadashi wondered, glancing around once more.

'I'm in front of you...' The voice said again, causing Tadashi to look directly at Lucario who was staring intently at him.

"Wait...you?" Tadashi replied, his eyes widening a bit as he saw Lucario nod.

"But...how?" Tadashi asked curiously, a little freaked out and excited at the same time.

'Through telepathy...and also the strength of your aura makes our link much easier. Why don't you try it?' Lucario responded.

"How? Last I checked I'm human," Tadashi muttered.

'Just clear your mind Tadashi...find your inner aura and when you do, grab hold...focus your mind on that and nothing else, then you will be able to speak to me this way...' Lucario replied.

"Okay...if you say so..." Tadashi replied, closing his eyes.

As he did he felt an incredible pressure from within. He focused his mind on it, figuring that's what Lucario meant.

'This must be it...' Tadashi thought as he kept his focus.

Before long he opened his eyes to look at Lucario, a faint smile resting on his features.

'I think I've got it...' Tadashi told him, getting a grin from Lucario.

'See, it's easy...especially when your aura is so strong. This allows you to speak to me so nobody else can hear you, unless they have the same abilities as you do. Korrina can do the same so be careful' Lucario warned.

'Okay, I'll do my best...thanks for the heads up' Tadashi stated, returning Lucario to his pokeball and heading towards the Gym.

'So he's got a Lucario now huh? And by the looks of things...it's a Mega, this could be a problem...' Trinity thought as she kept herself hidden behind a nearby building so she could make a call.

Celosia was at Team Flare headquarters speaking to one of her underlings.

"Is everything in order for our next venture?" Celosia inquired curiously.

"Yes, the other scientists are undergoing preperations as we speak," The underling said with a devious smile.

"Good, and the route to Coumarine City? Blocked off?" Celosia inquired.

"As requested, though I'm not sure why you wanted that," the underling replied.

"Call it setting up one's own entertainment. Trust me I'm not really expecting it to be that way for long..." Celosia grinned, her ears twitching as she heard her holo caster going off.

"Ah, that must be her now" Celosia stated as she took out her holo caster and hit the switch.

A hologram of Trinity appeared before her, causing a smirk to grace her features.

"Well if it isn't my favorite little mercenary from the Inferno Branch. I trust you have some news for me on the three mice scurrying about?" Celosia asked curiously.

"Call me little one more time Celosia and I'll have my Chandelure turn you into ashes..." Trinity said through gritted teeth.

"Temper temper Trinity. Now, what data have you?" Celosia asked again.

"So far they seem like decent trainers. The girl has a few powerful Pokemon that could be a threat, Steelix being one of them and that Frogadier of hers is lightning quick, she's a bit stronger than we gave her credit for," Trinity stated.

"And what about the two boys? What of them? Are they strong as well?" Celosia inquired.

"Fairly, that Victor kid exercises near perfect control over his Kadabra and Quilladin. It's interesting to watch. And Tadashi, the ring leader...was decently strong already with how unorthodox his battle style is. And it just got a whole lot more interesting. By the looks of things, he's received a Mega Lucario. I saw the vest on the Pokemon. He could pose a problem, and I don't even wanna talk about how leery I am of that Charmeleon of is...if that thing evolves, I shudder to think what havoc he could wreak on our plans..." Trinity mumbled.

"Ah but it hasn't evolved and by the sound of things you could handle them easily if it came down to it. After all, you are one of our top agents from the Inferno Branch" Celosia flattered her.

Visibly flustered due to the flattery, Trinity breathed in deep to avoid snapping back at Celosia. She always over-complimented her. It really annoyed Trinity. It wasn't that she didn't like it, it was just that it was Celosia. The woman was manipulative and knew she was good at it.

'Just take the compliment...' Trinity thought as she cleared her throat.

"Anyway, so far they're still pretty new to this so this shouldn't be much of a problem. I'll let you know if I find out anything else" Trinity said as she closed the session.

A playful grin crossed Celosia's features as she put her holo caster away.

"Something funny Celosia?" The grunt asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing, just the fact that the little darlings have no idea what they're in for. She isn't called the Sad Assassin for nothing..." Celosia snickered.

"Of course...she strikes at the most prominent times. Recruiting her was wise indeed. But one question...she's quite a skilled trainer, why did you have her go collecting badges?" The grunt inquired curiously.

"I'm not completely heartless. The girl wanted to have a little fun so I charged her with the task of challenging Gyms, mostly to see who was out there and to report the strength of each leader so we can gauge how to deal with them should they join the fray" Celosia smirked.

"I see, so this has nothing to do with her little sister then?" The grunt inquired.

"That is an entirely different matter altogether. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to a meeting. You're dismissed" Celosia told the grunt.

The grunt nodded and turned to walk away, leaving Celosia to her own devices.

Tadashi stood outside the gym, mostly waiting for the other two to finish up their matches. He'd returned his Pokemon to their pokeballs and was now leaning against the wall.

'Something doesn't feel right...where's Trinity?' Tadashi thought as he looked around for her.

'She must be getting some sight seeing in...this place is pretty nice. One thing still bothers me though...all of her Pokemon are evolved. And they seem incredibly strong too. I know there are strong trainers out there but she seems to be on a completely different level. At least she's traveling with us. I'd hate to be against her...' Tadashi thought as he looked up at the sky.

The doors to the Gym opened and Clarice walked out, having finished her match. A smirk graced her features as she turned to face Tadashi.

"That was a rough fight, I won but barely...and I could have used your support you know!" Clarice scolded.

"Sorry, I was here...I just didn't go in because I wanted to get to know my new Pokemon and formulate a strategy" Tadashi said defensively.

"Well at least you're using your head...that's a change..." Clarice said with a grin.

"Thanks for the compliment..." Tadashi grumbled.

"Look, Victor and I both completed our matches. It's your turn after Korrina gets back from the Pokemon Center. So why don't we all wait inside?" Clarice replied.

"Sure, why not?" Tadashi agreed, walking inside with Clarice to see Victor sitting on the bottom of the stairs leading up to the arena.

"Hey Tadashi, where were you? You missed some awesome battles, and check it out!" Victor said excitedly, showing his new badge off with pride.

"Sorry Victor, like I told Clarice, I wanted to get to know my new Pokemon a bit more before the match. I'll be using it after all..." Tadashi said with a faint smile.

"No worries bud, it's always good to strategise before a fight. I did the same thing before coming here. Otherwise, I wouldn't have this" Victor chuckled.

"Wait...you said new Pokemon right? I wasn't sure if I heard you correctly before," Clarice asked with a dumbfounded expression.

"Yeah, when did you get a new one? Did you catch something behind our backs?" Victor inquired with a curious gaze.

"Something like that...you'll find out soon enough. Anyway, congrats to you both" Tadashi said with a smirk.

"Thanks," The two replied as they looked back at the Gym doors which just opened up.

Korrina stepped through the doors and smiled as she saw the trio. She skated over to them and stopped in front of Tadashi.

"Well Tadashi, are you ready to rumble?" Korrina inquired, meeting Tadashi's bright emerald hues with her own.

"You bet," Tadashi grinned, turning to the others with a thumbs up as he followed Korrina to the arena.

Tadashi and Korrina went to separate sides of the arena and stared each other down. Their minds were focused on only one thing, the battle. The referee skated onto the platform and spun around before stopping.

"This battle is between the Shalour City Gym Leader; Korrina and the challenger; Tadashi! This will be a four on four battle. Only the Challenger is allowed to substitute Pokemon! Tadashi will have the first move! Ready? Begin!" The referee called out.

"Mienfoo let's go!" Korrina called out, sending forth her first Pokemon.

"Braixen, let's get to it!" Tadashi hollered, summoning his trusted companion.

The two Pokemon stared at one another for a considerable amount of time. Mienfoo lowered itself into a kung foo fighting position and fixated his eyes on Braixen. He could tell by the looks of her that she was more than she let herself appear. The look Braixen gave him was sly and intimidating to say the least. It was as if she were taunting him before the fight began. She was a fox after all and they were known for their trickery. A drop of sweat trickled down his cheek and dripped off his face. The sound wasn't very loud but it may as well have been. The next thing he heard was the commanding voice of Tadashi as it echoed through the arena, signaling the start of the battle.

"Braixen use flame charge!" Tadashi commanded.

Braixen obeyed, igniting her body with intense flames before rushing Mienfoo swiftly.

'She's fast!' Korrina thought as she saw Braixen close in rather quickly, knocking Mienfoo back with a successful attack.

"Mienfoo, get up and use force palm!" Korrina countered, causing Mienfoo to catch itself before it fell over.

Mienfoo rushed forwards swiftly and aimed a swift force palm into Braixen's side who was still too close to dodge. Mienfoo's palm lit up and pushed Braixen back several feet. Braixen shook it off after getting up, cringing a bit due to the force of the blow being quite strong.

"Braixen, use flame charge again!" Tadashi called out.

Braixen charged forwards while engulfing her body in flames. Her speed greatly increased, catching Mienfoo off guard as he was knocked away once more.

'Crap she's faster now...curse that move!' Korrina thought as she watched Mienfoo rise again.

"Mienfoo close in with powerup punch, if she can increase her stats then so can we!" Korrina called out.

Mienfoo rushed in, his fist glowing brightly as he cocked it back, aiming a punch straight for Braixen's face.

"Dodge and use psybeam!" Tadashi ordered.

With her increased speed, Braixen easily avoided the oncoming punch. She took her stick out of her tail and spun it around before blasting Mienfoo at close range with a psybeam. Mienfoo cried out as it was struck with its weakness, skidding back quite a ways before passing out.

"Mienfoo is unableto battle! Braixen wins!" The referee declared.

Meanwhile, just outside the gym doors, Trinity was hanging onto a ledge while watching the fight from a window.

'Not bad Tadashi, not bad at all. You think pretty quickly on your feet. But don't count Korrina out of this yet just because your Braixen knows a psychic move...she doesn't give in easily...' Trinity thought as she continued to watch the fight.

"Mienfoo, return!" Korrina stated, calling back her injured friend.

"That was some good stuff Tadashi, now I know why Lucario was so impressed with you. But it's going to take a lot more than that to beat me, Machoke let's go!" Korrina bellowed.

The muscular Pokemon stood tall and looked over at Braixen with a confident expression on its features. This was another fighting type, but something didn't feel right to Tadashi. It seemed a little too confident in its abilities. Maybe it was one of her stronger ones.

"Braixen, close in with flame charge!" Tadashi ordered.

"Use low sweep" Korrina commanded.

Machoke waited for Braixen to get close, which due to the increased speed, didn't take very long. Machoke ducked down and swept its leg under Braixen, tripping her up.

"Follow it up with powerup punch!" Korrina shouted.

Machoke turned to the side and brought its fist into the side of Braixen, sending her flying across the arena, skidding to a stop several feet away from Machoke.

"Get up and use psybeam!" Tadashi called out.

Braixen struggled to get up, barely standing as she took the stick from her tail to ready her attack.

"Rock tomb!" Korrina commanded.

At that moment, rocks formulated around Machoke and he sent them straight at Braixen whose eyes widened in shock as the attack collided with her frail body. The dust settled to reveal a knocked out Braixen.

"Braixen is unable to battle, Machoke wins!" The referee called out.

"Good job Braixen, you deserve a rest..." Tadashi said with a soft smile.

'I had a feeling that would happen...she did the same thing to my Chandelure before it evolved...Korrina knows her stuff' Trinity thought as she watched to see what Tadashi would do next.

"Kirlia, let's battle!" Tadashi called out, sending forth Kirlia who was making her debut in her first gym match in her evolved state.

"Kirlia use calm mind" Tadashi called to her, causing her to close her eyes.

Kirlia remained perfectly still, clearing her mind of anything that might distract her from the match. A pink aura surrounded her frame as her special attack and special defense stats were boosted.

'That's not good...' Korrina thought nervously as she looked at Machoke.

"Break her concentration with rock tomb!" Korrina ordered.

Machoke complied and fired a volley of rocks towards Kirlia, aiming to seal her between them.

"Double team, then use confusion..." Tadashi ordered.

Kirlia's eyes flashed open as she made eye contact with Machoke. Her body began duplicating itself at a rapid pace, showing great speed as she moved.

'This one's quick too...' Korrina thought as the rock tomb missed its mark.

Kirlia's eyes began to glow crimson as she lifted Machoke off the ground, damaging the fighting type heavily.

"Use disarming voice!" Tadashi commanded.

Kirlia sucked in air and released a penetrating shout that hit Machoke with a fierce impact. Machoke was then flung onto the arena floor, struggling to get up due to the damage he took.

"Finish up with a draining kiss" Tadashi smirked.

Kirlia glided over to Machoke and bent down to kiss his cheek, draining the last of his energy, causing him to faint.

"Machoke is unable to battle, Kirlia wins!" The referee declared.

"Return, Machoke!" Korrina called out, returning her fallen Pokemon to its ball.

"Hawlucha, do your thing!" Korrina called out, sending forth her third Pokemon.

Tadashi tilted his head as he saw the Pokemon. It was a small, bipedal bird-like Pokemon. It's wings were scarlet and cape-like which were connected to a tail. It had green undersides and small claws. It had red chest feathers and a white abdomen and legs with golden colored feet. It's face was like a wrestlers mask with an orange stripe down the center. There were orange rings around its eyes.

Tadashi picked up his pokedex and aimed it at the Pokemon.

"Hawlucha, the Wrestling Pokemon. Although its body is small, its proficient fighting skills enables it to keep up with big bruisers like Machamp and Hariyama," the pokedex explained.

'So it's a fighting and flying type huh? Nothing Kirlia can't handle...' Tadashi thought as he stared confidently at Hawlucha.

"Kirlia, use disarming voice!" Tadashi called out.

"Hawlucha, use bounce and then aerial ace!" Korrina ordered.

As Kirlia loosed her attack, Hawlucha launched itself out of her attacks range and rocketed down towards her. Using its wings to maneuver in the air, Hawlucha made a solid connection with Kirlia's chest, knocking her backwards. Following up the bounce, Hawlucha closed in with a swift aerial ace, sending Kirlia flying. The small dancer weakly attempted to get up but flopped over from the heavy blows, unable to continue.

"Kirlia is unable to battle, Hawlucha wins!" The referee announced.

"Come on Tadashi, get your head in the game!" Victor called out.

"That should have been in Kirlia's favor...but that Hawlucha is really good..." Clarice said to herself as she watched the match continue.

Tadashi returned Kirlia to her pokeball and picked up Charmeleon's ball.

"Okay partner, let's go Charmeleon!" Tadashi belted out.

The small bipedal fire lizard appeared on the field and stood facing Hawlucha. Charmeleon taunted the bird which unnerved Hawlucha a little, but it soon regained its focus. Charmeleon could sense that Hawlucha was strong which excited him greatly. This was the challenge he was looking for.

"Charmeleon use flame burst!" Tadashi commanded.

Due to his excitement, blue and white flames gathered in his mouth. When a Charmeleon is excited over a strong opponent, his flames change colors. The intensity of the flames on his tail increased as well. The lizard fired a blast of heated energy towards Hawlucha.

"Dodge it with bounce!" Korinna commanded.

Hawlucha launched itself high into the air to avoid the oncoming flames which settled onto the arena for a while before going out. Hawlucha plummeted downwards and aimed a powerful blow to Charmeleon who was sent flying.

"Aerial ace!" Korrina commanded again.

Charmeleon got up and turned to face Hawlucha who was heading towards him.

"Charmeleon, flame burst now!" Tadashi ordered.

Charmeleon gathered the blue and white flames once more before blasting Hawlucha in the face at point blank range. Hawlucha rocketed back and tumbled end over end before rising slowly to a stand.

Hawlucha shot Charmeleon a determined look. The lizard only stuck a claw out and beckoned Hawlucha towards him.

"Hawlucha, charge in with aerial ace and use power up punch to end it!" Korrina commanded.

"Dodge it and use fire fang!" Tadashi ordered.

Hawlucha closed in rather quickly however Charmeleon was able to avoid the attack and catch Hawlucha in passing with its fangs, causing Hawlucha to cry out in pain as the flames licked at its feathers. An explosion rang out and smoke filled the arena after the attack connected. When the dust settled, Charmeleon was left standing with an unconcious Hawlucha at his feet. It roared triumphantly, spouting flames into the air.

"Great work Charmeleon!" Tadashi commended his Pokemon.

Charmeleon nodded to his trainer and turned to face Korrina who was down to her last Pokemon.

"This is it..." Tadashi said to himself, knowing what her last Pokemon would be.

"You've done a great job so far Tadashi, your Charmeleon is impressive" Korrina complimented as she returned Hawlucha to its Pokeball.

"Thanks, you're really strong Korrina" Tadashi stated with a grin.

"And you're about to find out just how strong. Lucario let's rumble!" Korrina shouted.

Tadashi had a feeling this was coming as the bipedal canine stood before him. This one had a mega stone around its neck just like his own Lucario.

"It's time" Korrina said as she held up her gloved hand and pressed the key stone and then held her fist high in the air.

The stone began to glow around Lucario's neck and in mere moments it became Mega Lucario.

"Show me what you're made of Tadashi!" Korrina called out.

Tadashi sweat dropped at this. Charmeleon hadn't faced a Mega Evolved Pokemon so it had no idea what it was up against. Regardless, he wanted to get as much damage in as possible.

"Charmeleon use flame burst!" Tadashi ordered.

"Charge in with bone rush and evade the attack!" Korrina commanded.

Charmeleon still hadn't calmed down from earlier and was still spouting blue and white flames. The blast headed towards Mega Lucario who dodged it expertly before slamming a quickly produced bone staff into Charmeleon's head.

"Don't let up!" Korrina called out.

Mega Lucario continued to land blow after blow to Charmeleon's body, sending him flying back after the last one, knocking him out for the count.

"Charmeleon is unable to battle! Lucario wins!" The referee announced.

Tadashi looked at his fallen companion who glanced back at Tadashi.

"Sorry about that Charmeleon..." Tadashi sighed.

Charmeleon waved Tadashi off as if to say it wasn't an issue. He got to fight someone strong and that's what he craved all of the time. Tadashi returned him to his pokeball and stood up, taking his last pokemon in hand and glancing down at it.

"I wonder what his new Pokemon is..." Clarice said to Victor who simply shrugged.

"Beats me, I'm excited to find out though," Victor said with a grin.

"Let's do this partner!" Tadashi called out, sending out his final Pokemon.

Clarice and Victor's eyes widened and their jaws dropped to the floor as they saw a Lucario come out of the pokeball.

"When did you get that?!" Clarice demanded.

"I'll explain later" Tadashi called back as he turned to Lucario.

'Ready?' Tadashi said telepathically.

'Always...' Lucario nodded.

Tadashi tapped the mega ring embedded into his glove and raised his fist high, a powerful aura surrounding him and Lucario. The bipedal canine grew in height a little and its power increased exponentially. Another Mega Lucario was on the field now.

"This...just got interesting..." Victor said as he concentrated on the match.

The two Lucarios stood across from one another, neither of them moving an inch. They were both attuned to their trainer's auras. Neither Korinna nor Tadashi spoke. This was going to be a battle unlike anything ever witnessed by these three trainers.

'Aura sphere...' Korrina commanded her Lucario.

Her Mega Lucario crouched down a little and placed one palm over the other. Sparks crackled within the center of its palms, causing a slight tremor. Soon the sphere was formed and fired at the other Mega.

'Dodge and use bone rush...' Tadashi countered.

His Mega Lucario swiftly avoided the oncoming sphere, turning to face the other Mega as the sphere collided with a wall behind him, creating an explosion. Tadashi's Mega Lucario produced a bone staff and rushed towards his opposition.

'Use bone rush as well' Korrina called out.

Victor and Clarice watched the match with bewildered expressions.

"What's going on...neither of them are telling their Pokemon what to do...they're just doing it..." Victor stated as he watched them.

"It's called telepathy" a familiar voice said, prompting the two to turn around and see Gurkinn.

"Telepathy? Wait...are they psychic or something?" Clarice asked curiously.

"No, but Lucario shares a special link with its trainer through aura. Using that wavelength they are able to communicate telepathically. No spoken words are needed using this method.

Both Mega Lucario's clashed bone staffs with one another, each fighting to get the edge. Tadashi's Mega Lucario managed to connect his bone staff with Korrina's Mega's chest.

'Force palm...' Tadashi ordered.

Tadashi's Mega Lucario obeyed and charged up energy in its palm before thrusting it forward swiftly, aiming to strike his opposition.

'Block it with your staff and strike back with power up punch...' Korrina commanded.

Her Mega Lucario harkened to her command and blocked the force palm before thrusting its charged up fist into his opponent.

Tadashi's Mega Lucario recoiled from the damage and regained its balance after nearly falling over.

'Strike back with a power up punch of your own' Tadashi ordered.

Tadashi's Mega Lucario charged up its fist and landed a successful strike to Korrina's Mega's face. Both Lucario's skidded back and stared at each other intently.

'Bone rush!' Tadashi ordered.

'Bone rush as well!' Korrina countered.

Both Mega Lucario's rushed at each other and clashed bone staffs again. The two fought for dominance but neither was giving an inch. Tadashi and Korrina kept their focus on the battle at hand, not bothering to look at one another in the process. Both Lucarios resonated with their trainers, not breaking concentration in the slightest.

'Force palm' Korrina ordered.

Her Mega Lucario struck Tadashi's Lucario with great force and propelled him back several feet.

'End it with aura sphere' Korrina commanded.

Her Mega Lucario once again gathered powerful sapphire energies between its palms and fired it towards the rising opponent.

'Bat it away with bone rush!' Tadashi ordered.

Mega Lucario stood his ground and concentrated on the blast headed towards him. With a swift motion, he swatted the sphere away though his bone was dispelled in the process.

Korrina's Mega Lucario was taken aback by this and readied itself for a counter attack.

'Charge in with bone rush and then move to the side and use force palm' Tadashi ordered.

Tadashi's Mega Lucario formed another bone staff and took off towards his opposition.

'Evade it and use power up punch!' Korrina ordered, not knowing that there would be a follow up.

Her Mega Lucario avoided the bone rush but wasn't quick enough to avoid the oncoming force palm that sent it flying. Korrina's Mega Lucario slowly rose to a stand. As it was about to move forwards, a golden energy sparked around it, causing it to halt its actions. It was now paralyzed.

'Wrap this up with aura sphere!' Tadashi commanded.

His Mega Lucario complied, lowering its stance and gathering powerful energies between its palms. When the sphere was ready, he fired it towards his opposition, hitting the mark with devastating force. An explosion shook the arena floor and when the dust settled, Korrina's Lucario had gone back to normal and was knocked out.

"Lucario is unable to battle! The challenger's Lucario wins! The match goes to Tadashi!" The referee declared.

Tadashi sighed, relieved that he'd won. Pumping his fist into the air he gave a jubilent shout.

"Yes! Way to go Lucario!" Tadashi exclaimed.

Lucario was now in his normal form and walked over to Tadashi, giving him a nod in reply.

"That was quite a display you two put on" Gurkinn said as he came and stood between Tadashi and Korrina who had returned her Lucario to its ball.

"Great job Tadashi, you really know how to roll with the punches!" Korrina said with a cheerful smile. She was a bit miffed that she'd lost, but she was happy to see how well Tadashi and Lucario worked together.

"To commemorate your victory, I present you with the Rumble Badge!" Korrina said as she took the badge out and gave it to Tadashi.

'Well I'll be...he won. That was some impressive telepathy. Not bad Tadashi...you've just graduated from minor issue to possible irritation for Team Flare. This should stir the pot rather nicely...' Trinity thought with a devious smirk as she hopped down from the window with catlike agility.

Trinity decided to wait for them all back at the Pokemon Center. There she could maybe read or groom her Absol. Tadashi took the badge he was given and placed it in the box next to the Cliff Badge. He now had his third badge and was on a roll it seemed.

"Congrats Tadashi" Victor said as he walked up beside him.

"I concur, that was a splendid battle. You're improving" Clarice complimented, getting a confused look from Victor.

"What? I can be nice you know?!" Clarice hissed at Victor who held his hands up defensively.

Tadashi simply laughed and shook his head.

"Thanks you guys, I wouldn't have gotten this far without either of you..." Tadashi said with a faint smile.

Clarice blushed slightly at this remark and fidgeted with her fingers, getting a grin from Victor which changed her expression to an irritated one immediately.

"Thanks for the fun match Tadashi, good luck on the rest of your journey!" Korrina called out as the trio left the gym to head to the Pokemon Center.

The sun was setting and it was going to be time to turn in for the night. Coumarine City was quite a journey from where they were and it would take them a while to get there. Their journey would only get longer from there.

Tadashi and the others walked into the Pokemon Center to see Trinity relaxing on a couch while reading a magazine. Spotting the trio, she put down her magazine and happily got up to greet them.

"Hey you three how'd it go?!" Trinity inquired cheerfully.

"Well, we all got our badges. What about you? Where'd you go all day?" Tadashi asked curiously.

"I just walked around town, stopped at the beach area for a bit to stick my toes in the water," she said sticking out a foot and wiggling them. Her shoes had some sand on them indicating she had indeed been where she said.

"Sounds like you had fun then..." Victor said with a grin.

"Yep, so, what's on the agenda? Or are we all going to chill here for the night?" Trinity asked, tilting her head cutely.

"I don't know about you three but I'm rather tired, I could use a relaxing bath right about now" Clarice said as she turned towards the nurse with her pokeballs ready in hand for the nurse to take.

"I'm probably going to go listen to music, I need to relax after that battle" Victor laughed, turning to walk over to the nurse to hand her his Pokemon as well.

Clarice had already gone down the hall after receiving her key to her room. Victor followed soon after. Trinity watched as the two left and then turned to Tadashi.

"I'm going to head to the beach for a bit and clear my thoughts. I need to cool off after such a long day" Tadashi said as he handed the nurse his four tuckered out Pokemon and grabbed a room key before heading out.

"Good, I'll join you!" Trinity chirped, glad she was able to get him alone so she could figure out more about him. She'd already seen his skills, now she just needed to know him as a person. This was almost too good to be true.

Tadashi and Trinity walked down to the beach together and sat down by the shore. The waves crashed against the rocks in the distance and the tide steadily receded and came in. The sound of the sea put Tadashi at ease.

"So, Tadashi...what's your reason for becoming a trainer? I know there's got to be more to it than what you've told me," Trinity inquired, turning her head to look at him.

"My father was a trainer..." Tadashi started, gaining Trinity's attention from the start.

"Was? As in...isn't anymore or something else?" Trinity asked curiously.

"Both...he died when I was ten. It was in a volcano incident in the Hoenn region. My father was a great trainer. He and my mother both were. My mom and I have been on our own for quite some time now. We moved to Vanville Town after six more years in Hoenn. I wanted to become a trainer like my father was. To go beyond what he did and achieve that which he could not. But also...I want to help everyone else out there who has the same dream but need encouragement. My desire is not only to become a Master but to help others achieve their goals as well at any cost," Tadashi said with a serious tone in his voice.

'Tadashi seems to have a strong sense of justice...I hate to say it but I admire it. His goals are admirable, but a job is a job. If he interferes with the main objective I'll have to take him out of the picture...now is not the time though,' Trinity thought as she glanced back at Tadashi.

She soon stood up and walked towards the water, rolling up her left pant leg to match her right before stepping into the water. She then kicked water onto Tadashi who sputtered and stood up.

"What was that for?!" Tadashi shouted.

"Oops, sorry, my bad!" Trinity laughed.

"I see...so that's how it is eh?" Tadashi smirked, rolling up his pants to charge in after her.

He splashed her back and the two began to play in the water before the sun went down. The two were both sopping wet at this poing and were now lying on the beach.

"That was fun wasn't it?" Trinity giggled, turning to Tadashi who looked back at her.

"Yeah, it was, though you play dirty" Tadashi chuckled, standing up to dust the sand off his clothes.

"Looks like we're going to have to wash these" Trinity snickered.

Tadashi rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Yep, we'd better get back to the Pokemon Center. I don't know if the others even know we've been out here or not" Tadashi laughed.

"Well let's go then" Trinity said as she took him by the hand and dragged him along with her.

The two made it back to the center and slipped inside, keeping their volume down as they entered. Tadashi got his Pokemon back from the nurse and left for his room and went inside, closing the door behind him. Trinity found her room which happened to be right next to Victors. Tadashi took his attire off and placed it in a hamper and hopped in the shower. After about fifteen minutes he came out with a robe on and picked up the hamper and brought it to the laundry room where he could wash his clothes. After waiting a while they were finally done and he took them out of the dryer. The smelled good as new and were warm. He put them back in the hamper and walked down the hall only to see Trinity coming his way with a hamper of her own.

The two nodded to each other as they passed. Tadashi soon was back in his room and letting out all of his Pokemon.

"Great job everyone" Tadashi said with a happy sigh.

The four Pokemon that battled with him all gave happy calls as he praised their work. Cubone and Tyrunt slumped down on either side of Lucario. Braixen sat down and curled up on the ground near the pillow it used to sleep on. One could say it missed doing that. Kirlia curled up on the floor as well and so did Charmeleon. All of them fell fast asleep and were off into dreamland.

_**And that's a wrap! After a long and hard fight, Tadashi pulls through with a stunning victory! With a long journey ahead of them, the group is now resting peacefully, blissfully unaware that one of their greatest threats is among their number. How long will it be until Trinity makes her move? Who knows?! Find out soon on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	11. Chapter 11

**Good afternoon/evening for some of you! It's been quite a ride so far. Ten chapters in, and now Tadashi has badge number three. He's becoming quite the contender now so watch out Team Flare! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the previous chapter because I'm bringing you another one. Sit back, relax, grab some popcorn and drinks because it's show time! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 11: Into the Flames Part 1**

Tadashi awoke early that morning, his eyes fluttering open slowly. At first his vision was blurry but as things came back into focus he began to see things clearly, including...Trinity.

"What the he-" he was cut off when Trinity put her hand over his mouth.

"Shhhh...don't yell they'll hear you" Trinity said, and by them she meant Victor and Clarice who had yet to wake up.

Tadashi breathed heavily after Trinity took her hand away and shot her an annoyed glance.

"What are you doing in here?" Tadashi demanded sharply.

"You left the door unlocked...you must have been so tired you forgot to lock it" Trinity lied.

"That's strange...I could have sworn I locked it last night..." Tadashi mumbled, rubbing his head as he sat up.

"Nice pajamas by the way" Trinity giggled, showing off her own Eeveeloution pajamas.

"Thanks...as you probably guessed, Charizard is my favorite" Tadashi said as he glanced over at her.

"So...you still didn't answer my question. Why are you in here?" Tadashi asked again.

"Well, since you asked...I was going to wake you up and see what yours and everyone else's plans were for today" Trinity said with a smirk.

"That and you're cute when you sleep" Trinity said with a sly grin.

"You were watching me sleep?!" Tadashi nearly exclaimed had it not been for Trinity covering his mouth with her hand again he might have woken up the others.

"Only for like five minutes, don't get so worked up" Trinity laughed.

Tadashi was getting more annoyed by the second, though he would keep his volume level down. Nothing could compare to how irate Clarice would be if she were woken up rudely. Sighing he turned to Trinity and frowned.

"I need you go leave the room...I need to get dressed," Tadashi mumbled as he pulled himself out of bed.

"Can I watch?" Trinity asked.

"No..." Tadashi grumbled, shooting her a glare that was on par with Clarice's.

"Relax, I was just joking, I'm out, I'm out" Trinity laughed nervously, walking out of the room so he could have some privacy.

Tadashi sighed softly as he looked around the room. His Pokemon seemed to all be fast asleep still, save for one, Lucario.

'That was interesting to watch...' Lucario said as he stood up, a tired look on his visage.

'Yeah...I still don't know how she got in here...I swear I locked it...didn't I?' Tadashi replied.

'Search me...I was asleep...and unfortunately I think Tyrunt tried to chew on my ears in his sleep...it seems he dreams about biting things a lot...' Lucario responded.

'Well that helps a lot...' Tadashi mumbled.

His other Pokemon slowly started to wake up. Tyrunt was drooling in his sleep before he woke up. Cubone slowly got up and looked over at Tyrunt who sleeping with his tail up. Cubone poked Tyrunt with his bone, trying to wake him up. Tyrunt awoke in an unpleasant mood and bit Cubone on the tail, causing him to jump in surprise and start crying in pain as he tried to shake Tyrunt off. Due to how powerful his jaws were, Tyrunt wasn't going to let go.

Tadashi sighed, turning around to glare at Tyrunt. The little terror looked like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Tyrunt released his grip on Cubone and stepped away from him. Tadashi smiled, liking the fact that he didn't need to verbally communicate his disapproval of Tyrunt's actions. He returned them to their pokeballs, along with the other four and made his way out of the room.

Tadashi closed the door and turned around to head downstairs. He figured the others needed to get ready so he'd wait for them there. As he stepped into the lounge he saw a peculiar sight. There was a middle-aged man with short brown hair, wearing a tan trench with a green suit and black shoes standing at the front desk of the Pokemon Center.

"Excuse me nurse, I'm looking for a group of trainers that was said to have arrived her last night. I have something I wish to discuss with them," The man said as he glanced towards Tadashi who had just seated himself at a table nearby.

"Well, that's one of them over there," the nurse said, directing the man's attention to Tadashi.

"Thank you, that will do nurse," he said as he walked over towards Tadashi.

"May I help you?" Tadashi said as he looked up at the man staring down at him.

"Yes actually, you can young man," the man said as he sat across from Tadashi.

"My name is...Looker, and I've been in search of a group that calls themselves Team Flare. They've been attacking more frequently as of late. I learned that there were a group of trainers that seemed to have gotten in their way so I sought them out. I assume you to be one of them. Am I right?" Looker asked curiously.

Tadashi simply looked at the man for a while. He didn't know what to make of him but judging by his appearance he was a detective of sorts. How did he get information on them? Something didn't add up. Regardless, Tadashi nodded.

"Yes, I am one of them...the others are still getting ready for the day" Tadashi stated, his gaze going over Looker's shoulder to see Clarice, Victor and Trinity heading down the stairs. A panicked look came over Trinity's face as she saw Looker. She'd encountered the man before though she wasn't dressed this way at the time. She was wearing a body suit that enhanced her senses. It was a prototype that was being worked on and she tested it out to see how it worked. Yes, she knew who this man was and it spelled trouble for Team Flare if he got involved.

"These must be your friends," Looker said as he glanced over to where Tadashi was looking to see the trio behind him.

"Yep, that's Victor, and the preppy looking one is Clarice, and the one next to her is Trinity" Tadashi introduced, getting a glare from Clarice as per usual "And I'm Tadashi" he finished.

"I am not preppy!" Clarice snapped.

"Relax, I meant nothing by it..." Tadashi said with a chuckle.

"Like I believe that..." Clarice grumbled.

Victor rolled his eyes and walked over to the table and slid in next to Tadashi, mainly to keep Clarice from inflicting bodily harm. Looker got up so Trinity and Clarice could sit in the booth together. Trinity pouted as she had hoped to sit by Tadashi. Mainly so she could work her magic and continue to annoy Clarice.

She seemed to be one of the strongest links in the chain and breaking that would be the start she needed to break the group apart. If she could accomplish this, she could solve the problem Team Flare would eventually have with the trio before it even began. This would take time however, considering Tadashi seemed very strong willed. Victor was going to be the toughest nut to crack because nothing seemed to bother him. Clarice was already too easy.

"Listen up you four. My name is Looker, and as I finished telling your friend over here, I'm looking for Team Flare. Several incidents have happened as of late, one in Glittering Cave and the other near Geosenge Town. Reports of their activity are all over and they eventually wind up in my hands. I have been asked to round them up but obviously I can't do that alone now can I?" Looker explained.

"No, you most certainly can't" Clarice piped up, crossing one leg over the other, crossing her arms as well.

"So what you're saying is, you want us to aide you in taking them down?" Tadashi inquired, raising a brow as Looker nodded.

"Very perceptive of you, Tadashi was it?" Looker said as he placed his chin between his thumb and forefinger, stroking his non-existent facial hair.

"Well, I don't really care much for a bunch of pyromaniacs running around wearing obnoxious red suits. However there's one problem...we're on a journey together and we have made that our prime objective," Tadashi said as he crossed his arms and glanced at Looker who seemed disappointed.

"However...if we run into them along our journey, which we probably will...again...we will update you on our findings," Tadashi said with a faint smile, getting a sigh of relief from Looker.

"Good, why don't you register me into your holo caster...that will be a more fitting way to contact you," Looker stated. Tadashi nodded and quickly registered him in his holo caster.

"I look forward to hearing from you all, now if you'll excuse me I must be going" Looker said as he walked out of the Pokemon Center.

'I've got to report this to Celosia...' Trinity thought to herself as she stood up from the table.

"I'll be right back, need to use the bathroom" Trinity said as she stood up and hurried up the stairs.

"She must have had to go pretty bad..." Victor said as he watched her take off.

"Well, we ladies can't hold it as long as men can, when we need to go we don't waste time..." Clarice stated firmly.

"Thanks...I really needed to know that..." Tadashi mumbled, picking up a menu to order from.

Meanwhile, Trinity was upstairs tending to other matters. She took out her holo caster and quickly messaged Celosia. The woman was in the middle of an important meeting when her holo caster went off. The image of an irritated Celosia appeared in front of her, tapping her foot impatiently.

"This better be good Trinity, you're interrupting a meeting and you know how our leader hates when this happens" Celosia stated, narrowing her eyes behind the visor.

"Well then I'll make this short. One word: Looker" Trinity stated, causing Celosia to recoil a bit.

"Don't tell me...he found you out?" Celosia asked in a panicked state.

"No...luckily he doesn't remember that he ran into me when I was in my suit. He never got a look at my face or heard me speak so there's that. He's also got the group we've been tracking on his side now...but they don't intend to go looking for you unless they run into you so you don't have too much to worry about" Trinity said, getting a slight sigh of relief from Celosia.

"At least he hasn't found anything else out yet. If he ever found our base of operations...well we'd have to deal with the authorities and THAT woman," Celosia said distastefully.

"You mean...her? Yeah...if she ever stuck her nose in our business that wouldn't be good. She may be a typical actress...but her Pokemon are ridiculously strong..." Trinity stated, remembering seeing how powerful the woman's Pokemon were.

"Eh...I only liked a few of her movies, the rest were just blah..." Celosia grumbled.

"Don't hate because she's successful," Trinity snickered.

"Look, just make sure you avoid that man and keep that bunch of brats in line. We're moving forward with our plans and we do not want to be disrupted" Celosia said with a grimace.

"Yes your highness..." Trinity muttered, shaking her head.

"By the way, I have a little task for you. In order to help you gain their trust, I've tasked several underlings with the mission of causing a little disruption along the route you all will no doubt be taking" Celosia said with a playful smirk.

"And what's that got to do with me?" Trinity inquired, quirking a brow.

"My darling Trinity, don't you see? You've run into Looker...an unforseen circumstance no doubt. He needs to be on board the ship that says you're an ally. That will keep you under the radar. Catch my drift?" Celosia smirked.

"I'm guessing you want me to fight against my own team? Won't that count as betrayal?" Trinity replied.

"Betrayal? Hardly. The lower ranks have never had the pleasure of meeting the members of the Inferno Branch. They won't suspect a thing so you can have all the fun you want. Besides, these are the one's I've been put in charge of disciplining. You see they've been failing as of late and need to be re-educated. And who better to do that than you and that group? By the way, Tyson will be there too...I want you to teach him a lesson. His group has been a constant disappointment. Think of it as a little harmless fun among friends" Celosia grinned.

"Well, if it's up for knocking the heads of the incompetent, I'm in," Trinity smirked, I never really liked Tyson anyway so this will be fun."

"Good girl, now I must get back to the meeting or our leader is going to be knocking my head..." Celosia said, winking out.

She soon got up and actually went to the bathroom. She had used it as an excuse before but this time she really had to go. Flushing, she'd come out and close the door to her room and make her way down the hall and then down the stairs to see that the group was now eating.

"That took you quite a bit, is everything okay?" Tadashi asked curiously, taking a bite of a biscuit smothered in turkey sausage gravy.

"Yeah, I just really had to go. Gotta love those urges..." she laughed nervously.

Tadashi simply shrugged and continued eating. Clarice rolled her eyes and also resumed her meal. Victor leaned back and took a sip of his juice before setting it down.

Spotting the cart that was wheeled over to the table, she saw various foods on it. There were pancakes, waffles, eggs, tofu, sausage, turkey and pork, along with other delectable delicacies. She loaded up her plate with several waffles and pancakes, smothered them in syrup and piled on some biscuits with gravy along with eggs to go with it.

Tadashi and the others stared at her plate. She ate though she were a marathon runner or something. Her plate was loaded with calories.

"What? I work out a lot!" Trinity said as she felt eyes on her.

Tadashi and the others simply shrugged and continued their meal until they were done. Soon they were out the door and headed towards the route to Coumarine City. It was about a few days journey considering there was another town in-between.

"Well guys, shall we go?" Tadashi inquired, getting a nod from the group.

"Let's get to it then" Tadashi said as they all walked through the station to the next route.

Trinity walked beside Tadashi, making sure to stay as close to him as possible. Clarice once again seemed visibly flustered which Victor noticed rather easily.

"Somebody's jealous..." Victor said quietly, earning a scowl from Clarice.

"Victor?" Clarice said calmly.

"Yes Clarice?" Victor asked, suddenly doubling over as Clarice rammed her knee into his family jewels.

Tadashi and Trinity looked back to see Victor bent over and Clarice with a satisfied smirk.

"She did it again...didn't she?" Tadashi grimaced, getting a nod from Victor who slowly straightened himself, walking funny for a bit before he finally could walk normally.

Victor looked over at Clarice who had suddenly stopped walking. He raised a brow and looked where she was staring, his eyes going wide at what he saw. Fire was spreading over the trail. Trees were burning and there were a group of trainers tied up in the midst of a ring of fire.

Tadashi's eyes were wide as saucers at this point. His body was trembling at what he saw. His heart was beating at a rapid pace. His eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth, his fists clenching tightly. He was furious.

Not too far from where he was stood a group of Team Flare grunts along with a very familiar man in a white suit. The Mega Houndoom was standing at his side and it turned around to growl at the oncoming group.

"Looks like Celosia was right about you all coming this way..." Tyson smirked, turning around to gaze upon the oncoming group.

"You...asinine...heartless monster..." Tadashi spat.

"Ah, do you like what I've done with the place? I admit I may have gone a bit overboard here but when you've got a job to do, you do it right?" Tyson said with a chuckle. His underlings gathering around him with their pokeballs at the ready.

"Victor...Clarice...take care of the wounded" Tadashi said firmly.

"When did you become the boss of me?" Clarice snapped.

"I said do it!" Tadashi replied harshly, catching Clarice by surprise.

She saw unimaginable anger in his eyes, something she thought she'd never see. He was usually calm, even when she did piss him off he never once gave her a look like that. She gulped and swallowed her pride this time. Even Trinity was taken aback by it. Victor saw it as no surprise considering he'd noticed Tadashi's sense of justice long before anyone else had. If it hadn't been made clear back by Geosenge then it would never be.

Clarice grabbed Frogadier and Wartortle's pokeball and Victor grabbed Corphish. The two sent their pokemon out and darted for the people tied up beneath a tree with flaming branches. One of the branches fell and was headed straight down to land atop the trainers.

"Wartortle, Frogadier, use water pulse!" Clarice ordered.

Her pokemon obeyed and put out the fire quickly while at the same time sending the branch far away from the trainers.

"Cut them loose Corphish" Victor called out, watching as his lobster-like pokemon cut through the ropes that bound the trainers.

Trinity stood by Tadashi as they were surrounded by a few Houndour, and some Houndooms as well. Some of the grunts Pokemon had evolved since they last met which put the odds slightly in their favor. There were about eight in total, nine counting Tyson.

"It seems you've brought along another, fascinating...she'll be joining you as I send you to hell..." Tyson stated as he activated his mega ring, transforming Houndoom into Mega Houndoom.

Trinity and Tadashi looked at each other and nodded as they chose their Pokemon. Clarice and Victor joined them quickly.

"Burn them!" Tyson's voice echoed out.

_**And so ends part one of two! Yes, I left it at a cliffy, so what? Don't worry, the next chapter and second part will be up soon. I hope you're all enjoying it so far. I know some of you might have been expecting Looker to appear at some point right? I figured it would be a good place to add him in. Let me know what you think in the reviews! Until the next chapter, Mango out!**_


	12. Chapter 12

**And welcome to part two friends! Once again thank you so much to those who are reading and those who are reviewing. Tadashi and the gang have found themselves in a pickle, albeit one is the wolf in sheep's clothing. Still, that doesn't mean she wants to be fried either! Without any further ado, let's get right to it. Strap yourselves in! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 12: Into the Flames Part 2**

"Burn them!" Tyson's voice echoed out as the grunts all shouted commands to their Pokemon.

"Vaporeon use hydro pump!" Trinity called out, sending out Vaporeon who promptly fired an intense blast of water towards the oncoming flames.

"Charmeleon use flame burst!" Tadashi commanded, summoning the eager beaver of a fire lizard into battle.

Charmeleon roared and shot a powerful burst of fire at the oncoming flames, canceling them out.

Tadashi and Trinity stood back to back along with Clarice and Victor as their Pokemon guarded them.

"Still delaying the inevitable are we?" Tyson said with a smirk.

"The only thing inevitable here is your defeat..." Tadashi shot back, earning an amused laugh from the grunts.

"Look around you. You're surrounded by fire. And this is just the start of the one we plan to unleash upon this world. No, this is just the beginning..." Tyson stated with a devious grin.

Tadashi stepped forwards away from his group, his eyes now fixated upon Tyson with rage. This man was evil. There was no other way to describe it. The entire lot of them were cruel and needed to be wiped out as far as he was concerned. Anger flared up in his eyes as he grabbed Lucario's pokeball. He returned Charmeleon to his own pokeball because he wasn't going to use him in this fight.

"Lucario, let's go!" Tadashi called out, sending out his new companion.

Lucario turned to see Tadashi's aura was now a brilliant red which was definitely a change Lucario hadn't forseen. Red aura, contrary to popular belief, didn't always mean that a person was evil and negative. Red was an extremley powerful aura which could have a positive or negative spin on it. Red represented the blood and was a vibration of energy with the ability to either attract or repel. Brilliant red wasn't an alarming version of the red auras as it represented a very passionate person who was full of energy. This red aura was lingering on going clouded which was the most dangerous of the reds.

"Are you upset? My, my, you really are a trip. Does this world mean that much to you that you would throw your life away here for it?" Tyson asked, curious to know what his answer would be.

"Shut up..." Tadashi snarled in a terrifying tone.

Tadashi reached up and tapped the mega ring on his glove and raised it into the air, causing Lucario to transform into Mega Lucario. His aura resonated with Tadashi's as they were both on the same wavelength. They both felt the same anger at this point. Lucario understood why Tadashi was so angry at this point.

"I see...so you now have a Mega Lucario and you think you can challenge me. You're dreaming if you think I'm going to let you win," Tyson smirked.

Trinity, Victor and Clarice had their hands full with the other grunts who were armed to the teeth with more Pokemon. The situation couldn't have been more dire. Trinity whirled around as she felt an immense pressure from where Tadashi was, only to discover that it was Tadashi himself. Unbeknownst to the group, Trinity was a special young lady who could sense and see auras. She was soon snapped out of her little daze when a flamethrower was shot her way, prompting her Vaporeon to blast it away.

"I'm going to break you..." Tadashi spat, clenching a fist tightly as he stared down his opponent intently.

"I believe that is my line," Tyson growled "Houndoom, fire blast!" Tyson commanded.

Mega Houndoom reared its head back and gathered heated energies into its mouth. The entire area felt like an inferno as the flames around them continued to rage. Mega Houndoom fired a powerful fire blast towards Mega Lucario who was awaiting Tadashi's orders.

'Aura Sphere...' Tadashi ordered.

Mega Lucario powered up a quick aura sphere and fired it towards the fire blast, canceling the attack out as the two energies combined and detonated.

"Use feint attack and then fire fang!" Tyson shouted.

'Block it and use force palm' Tadashi commanded.

Mega Houndoom rushed in swiftly, using the sneak attack to try and catch Mega Lucario off guard but was surprised when Mega Lucario managed to block it. Mega Houndoom gathered flames into its mouth and bit down on Lucario who howled in pain at the super effective damage.

'Hang in there and use power up punch followed by a force palm...' Tadashi ordered.

Mega Lucario stared at the Mega Houndoom that had its teeth sunk into its arm and reared its fist back, powering up before slamming it into Mega Houndoom's nose. Mega Lucario proceeded to use force palm, sending Mega Houndoom rocketing back after being hit with two super effective moves.

Clarice looked back at Tadashi as she was in mid battle for but a moment. She saw how incensed he was and how angry Lucario looked as well. She'd never seen him this infuriated. It was scary, even for her. An air cutter that was sent her way quickly reminded her that there was a battle going on. Her Wartortle got in front of her and blocked it with his shell to prevent her from being damaged. It then turned around and fired a water pulse at the Golbat that did it.

At this point, Mega Houndoom and Mega Lucario were in each other's faces, viciously attacking each other without relent.

"Houndoom, use flame thrower!" Tyson commaned.

'Bone rush and spin the bone to extinguish the flames...' Tadashi ordered.

Mega Lucario obeyed and produced his bone staff and began spinning it, blowing the flames away from his body.

'What's the deal with this boy? How is his Pokemon just acting on its own? Unless...of course...he is able to use that ability...' Tyson thought with an irritated expression.

'Now rush in and use force palm' Tadashi commanded.

Mega Lucario rocketed towards Mega Houndoom and channeled aura to his palm, aiming to slam it into the weary hell hound.

"Houndoom use flamethrower!" Tyson called out.

Mega Houndoom fired a stream of flames at Mega Lucario who was too close to dodge it and took it head on. Mega Lucario barely was able to get up and resume the fight. He was running low on stamina and so was the Mega Houndoom.

"I think it's time to end this..." Tyson said with a satisfied smirk.

"Once I've put you away your friends will be next" Tyson stated, glancing over to see the trio still combating Team Flare with all of their Pokemon out at this point. Each of them looked exhausted, save for Trinity who had stronger Pokemon and could last a bit longer.

The Mega Houndoom drew closer to Mega Lucario who was standing defiantly, glaring at Mega Houndoom.

"Flamethrower..." Tyson commanded his Mega Houndoom.

'Bone rush now!' Tadashi called to Mega Lucario.

Mega Lucario gathered the last bit of energy that it had and produced its bone staff and struck Mega Houndoom hard on the forehead causing it to crash to the ground in a heap.

Tyson's eyes grew wide as he saw that his Mega Houndoom had been defeated. He began to back up a little, catching the threatening look in Tadashi's eyes as the Mega Lucario looked at him in the same manner.

"I'm going to give you five seconds to run...if you're not out of my sight soon I'll make you beg for your life..." Tadashi growled.

Knowing that now wasn't the time to put up a strong front, Tyson withdrew Houndoom and decided to make a run for it. Soon the entire gang of grunts fled the area in fear. Tadashi gripped his head in pain and knelt down on the ground, rubbing his temples to make the pain cease.

Clarice and the others were putting out the fires after Team Flare had left while Tadashi was still kneeling in the grass, a somber expression on his features. What happened to him? It was as if he had lost all sense of who he was in that moment of anger. He said words he'd never usually say.

'Lucario...' Tadashi breathed, looking at his companion with an exasperated expression.

'What happened to me?' He inquired, rubbing his temples.

'It was a shift in your aura...normally it is blue, but this time it was red, signifying passion but it was bordering on the dangerous side of red...' Lucario sighed as he placed a paw on Tadashi's shoulder.

'I said some pretty nasty things didn't I? I guess my anger got the better of me in that situation...' Tadashi sighed.

'True, but somehow you managed to keep yourself from going overboard. The more gentle side of you must have been keeping you from the breaking point...' Lucario said as he looked at the others.

'So why were you affected?' Tadashi inquired, tilting his head slightly at Lucario, awaiting an explanation.

'Because we are on the same wavelength. What you feel, I feel...and that becomes our power' Lucario replied.

'I see...so that's what happened then. I guess I still have a lot to learn about this aura business...' Tadashi sighed as he stood up, his eyes meeting Clarice who was now looking at him with a worried expression.

She could see that his eyes had returned to their more gentle state which made her breath a sigh of relief.

"Are you feeling okay Tadashi?" Clarice asked out of concern.

"I think so...I'm not sure what went on back there..." Tadashi mumbled, rubbing his head slightly as he looked at Trinity and Victor who finished putting out the fire.

"Well, this is a mess...I can't believe they pulled a stunt like this!" Victor growled.

The squadron looked around them at the devastation. The fires had spread quite a ways, however they didn't reach all the way to the end of the trail. A good majority of it was spared but still, the damage was awful. The trainers that had been tied up had made a break for Shalour City to get to the medical center. They were so afraid they didn't have time to thank them, save for one little girl who wandered up to Trinity who had rescued her from being burned alive.

"Excuse me..." The girl said, tugging on Trinity's pant leg.

"Hmm?" Trinity said as she looked down at the little girl who was looking up at her with tearstained eyes.

"Are you an angel?" She asked seriously, getting a shocked reaction from Trinity.

"Errr...no...I'm not, I'm a girl like you" Trinity said nervously.

"I think you are one..." The girl said as she gave Trinity a hug and then ran off towards Shalour City.

Trinity didn't know what to do with herself at this point. None of them knew who she really was. Had that little girl known that she was on the same side as Team Flare she might have a different opinion of Trinity. All she could do was take the compliment and muster a smile. She was no angel, she had plans to put the three with her out of the picture. She knew what she needed to do and at first she thought it would be a cinch. So why did it suddenly appear so difficult now? She shook her head and looked back at Tadashi.

A sigh escaped Tadashi's lips as he looked back at Clarice.

"I'm sorry I spoke to you that way earlier..." Tadashi apologised.

"Well, that was very rude of you, and even though I'm a little peeved about it I'll let you off the hook this time but ONLY because...I'm a little worried about you..." Clarice said as she turned away from him and walking back towards Shalour City so they could heal up and start again.

"Are you three coming or not?" She called out, getting mixed glances from the three of them.

"Yeah, we're coming, keep your shirt on!" Victor called out, getting a slight laugh out of Tadashi and Trinity.

The four of them walked back towards Shalour City after that major bump in the road. The group made it inside the Pokemon Center and gave their Pokemon to the nurse who looked a little concerned at the moment. Beside them, the news came on and showed that there had been a fire on route 12 which was now being sealed off until it was deemed safe to travel on.

"Well...that really screwed us over..." Tadashi mumbled, placing his head on his arms as he sat in one of the booths.

'This must have been what Celosia was going for. She knew she needed a few more days to get ready for the big heist. Burning the route and having it closed off was what she was counting on. Sometimes it's scary how brilliant she is...' Trinity thougth as she leaned back and looked over at Tadashi. She could see his aura had changed again, this time it was blue.

'Seems like he's back to normal...good, we don't want him going on a rampage and messing things up...' Trinity thought as she glanced over at the other two.

"Well, we're stuck here for a while, we may as well make ourselves comfortable. What do you guys say to a little fun at the beach? We could all use something to take our minds off of what just happened," Trinity suggested, trying to get the group to agree with her.

"I'm all for that suggestion, any day is a good day to go to the beach," Clarice said as she got up to head over to the nurse to get a room key.

"We've got nothing better to do, sounds good to me" Victor concurred, standing up to get a room key for himself so he could change.

"I suppose it'll be fine, I'll go ahead and get changed then..." Tadashi sighed as he got up, still feeling a bit down about how he'd acted back there.

"Tadashi..." Trinity called to him, prompting him to turn around.

"What's up Trinity?" Tadashi inquired.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, it wasn't like you could control what happened. Sometimes anger does funny things to a person. Don't beat yourself up over it" Trinity said with a faint smile.

"I threatened to kill someone..." Tadashi replied.

"If they were about to kill your friends...would you have stood there and let them or would you have struck before them?" Trinity asked seriously.

Tadashi lowered his head for a moment and breathed a heavy sigh.

"I would have saved them if that were the case..." Tadashi said as he lifted his head back up, a faint smile on his features.

"There's the Tadashi I met. Now, go get dressed because we're going to the beach. I don't wanna see anymore moping or I will dunk you repeatedly" Trinity smirked.

"Not if I dunk you first!" Tadashi snapped back.

And just like that, Tadashi was back to his old self. He still needed to understand what happened to him in that battle. He got the gist of it when Lucario explained it to him but he needed it laid out before him in depth. Perhaps he'd ask Lucario again later on to explain it to him more.

The group played at the beach for the rest of the day until the sun began to set. They all watched as it lit up the sky with brilliant shades of orange and pink.

"This is what it's all about" Tadashi said with a soft smile, glancing over at his friends who were now beside him.

Clarice stood beside Tadashi, and with Trinity on his left and Victor to the left of her. The group decided to watch the sunset before going in for the night. It had been a long day and they were all tired out.

Soon they were all back in their rooms and fast asleep with the next day's journey on their minds, save for Trinity who was up for a while.

"So, did you have fun?" The hologram of Celosia asked as she saw Trinity sitting by the bed in her room.

"More than I thought I would. It seems the grunts got a bit stronger than before...last I knew they were pushovers. They still kind of are though..." Trinity stated as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Well, you are one of our top Inferno Branch members, of course they're going to be weak compared to you" Celosia giggled.

"Yeah, I know. So it looks like Tyson lost to Tadashi. I had a feeling he would slip up eventually. The man has an ego so big I'm surprised he hasn't floated away from his inflated bald head..." Trinity grimaced.

"Yes, well it was to be expected. Although his Mega Houndoom is strong, it is the mans only Pokemon which makes him the weakest link in the Admin chain. I'm sure it would have been no small feat for you to tear him apart, but I'm guessing it was amusing to watch him lose to a beginning trainer am I right?" Celosia snickered.

"Yep, and it looks like he kept himself from revealing who I was. I give him credit for that. He acted as if I was one of their friends, heh...if only they knew" Trinity said, keeping her voice quiet incase anyone was listening.

She doubted it though, considering they had all gone to bed hours prior.

"So, it looks like my plan worked. I assume you four are stuck in Shalour City until the road is deemed safe eh?" Celosia inquired curiously.

"Yep, which is probably what you were going for if I'm reading you right...I guess you all need more time to move forward with your next plan of action right?" Trinity asked, getting an affirmative nod from Celosia.

"Thought so. Well, that's all I have to report, I'm gonna hit the hay, It's been a tiring day and though grunt punting was fun, I need sleep" Trinity said with a tired smile.

"Good night then, keep me updated on the activities of those three" Celosia said as she winked out.

Trinity soon climbed into bed and fell fast asleep.

_**And that ends part two! Looks like Tadashi and company won't be going forward for a while. I wonder what they'll decide to do while the area is being worked on? All will be revealed next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	13. Chapter 13

**Good morning again my friends! First of all I want to give a BIG thank you to those of you who are reading and reviewing. It really means a lot to me that you are doing this. Every suggestion that's given has helped me along the way. I know my grammar skills aren't the best but I'm doing my best. It's not easy remembering everything, haha. Anyway, I hope you all liked the previous chapter? What did you think of Tadashi's new development? And Trinity? She's getting more interesting by the second. Anywho, let's get straight into the next chapter shall we?! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 13: Coming to Terms**

Korrina awoke that morning rather groggily as she sat up in her bed. A faint smile rested itself on her features as she got up to take a shower. Today would be a day like any other. Skating around Shalour City, training her Lucario's in Mega Evolution...if she had the other one that is. She turned on the shower after stripping down and closed the curtain. The hot water washed over her somber expression as she thought about her decision to give Tadashi her Lucario. Hers. Not anyone elses. Hers. How could he do that? How could he just run off with another trainer? After all the years she spent nurturing, caring for and raising it from a Riolu, how could he do that? Tears of anger spilled from her eyes and she punched the wall in the shower and began to weep.

Her mind flashed back to the first day she met Lucario as a Riolu. Her grandfather Gurkinn had given them to her as a gift and she treasured them greatly. The trio went to hell and back and came out stronger every time as they grew older. So why? Why did he do it? She just didn't understand. So what if Tadashi had a more interesting aura? What was so Arceus darn special about it that it made him want to run off with some strange trainer he'd just met? Don't get it twisted, Tadashi is a nice person and a great trainer. She valued that much. He even looked hesitant when she asked him the first time. She almost didn't give Lucario to him. But she didn't want to deny Lucario a chance to grow with a trainer on his journey.

It still hurt. She would have been better off taking a knife wound than giving up her own Pokemon that she raised. What was she thinking? She was even more heartbroken when she had to battle him. Though she did her best to hide her feelings, she was angry during that fight. It wasn't enough that Lucario wanted another trainer, but then it beat her in a battle? Talk about adding insult to injury. The tears intensified as she finished cleaning up and knelt down in the shower, beating her fist against the wall.

"Why, Lucario?!" She practically screamed, sobbing into her hand as she beat the wall again.

Sensing her despair, the other Lucario that stayed with her popped out of his pokeball in her room. She could feel his presence by the door, knowing he knew not to come in. She stood up and put a towel around herself and walked out the door, and looked at her Lucario.

"Are you going to abandon me too?" She sniffed, looking at Lucario with a tearful expression.

Lucario simply shook his head. At this point, Korrina knelt down and wrapped her arms around Lucario's neck, continuing to weep over having given up her friend.

"I don't understand...why, why did he leave us? Was I not good enough? Would a child leave their own mother just because she didn't have enough for him to live off of? Help me understand, Lucario," she wept, getting Lucario to give her a sympathetic pat on her shoulder.

"It was difficult to do, wasn't it Korrina?" Gurkinn said as he walked into the hallway after hearing the commotion.

"I didn't understand it either Korrina. You raised him from the ground up and he repaid you by going with that other boy. Though I am surprised at how well he was able to battle with Tadashi. Lucario wasn't wrong in saying he had good aura. That still wasn't an excuse to jump ship however," Gurkinn said with a stern expression.

"I just...I just don't get it..." Korrina said as she looked up at her grandfather with tearstained eyes and sopping wet hair.

"He was my best friend...I loved that Lucario and still do. I raised him like a mother would her son!" Korrina shouted, slowly standing with the help of her remaining Lucario.

"I know how close you two were. From what I've learned, Lucario have a will of their own and seeking strong trainers to guide them is part of who they are and what they do. Personally I find it rather selfish," Gurkinn said with a grimace.

Korrina glanced away from her grandfather and tried to stop the tears from leaking. They just wouldn't quit watering her eyes. The feeling of being struck in the gut would be preferred to the immense emotional pain she was feeling at this moment. Lucario was also very hurt by this. Anger was clearly in his eyes. How could his brother do this? This was unforgivable.

"I'm going to get dressed...I...I have to go see if anyone is at the gym...I'm still the Leader after all, and I can't shirk my responsibilities..." she sniffed, walking away while wiping her eyes of the tears that ran like a river.

Lucario looked on as his trainer walked away, and though she tried to straighten up, her despair was not hid from his eyes. It was at that moment that Lucario knew what he had to do.

Tadashi was up early as well and alone at this point. He wanted to understand more about Lucario and why he chose him. Tadashi was glad he did, but he still felt an extreme amount of guilt in taking him from Korrina. It was, after all, her Pokemon and it felt weird having him in his possession. He looked down at Lucario's ball in silence. Had he done the right thing? There was also Skiddo to think about as well. He'd need to apologise for sending him to the PC before it could evolve.

"Lucario, come on out!" Tadashi said as he called Lucario to him.

The bipedal dog appeared before him and looked into his eyes as he could see uncertainty in them.

'Is everything alright Tadashi?' Lucario inquired, sensing a sad aura surrounding Tadashi.

'Yeah...I just wanted to know...did I do the right thing?' Tadashi replied.

'You mean by accepting me onto your team?' Lucario responded.

'Yes...was it really okay? Don't get me wrong partner, I am glad you joined me, overjoyed in fact. But I still can't help but feel as though I separated a family...' Tadashi replied, getting a surprised expression from Lucario.

He said nothing for a while. His ears drooped a little as he began to realise what he'd done and that it was too late to change it at this point. He did and didn't regret his decision to go with Tadashi. He regretted it because Korrina was like a mother to him and raised him to be who he was today. He didn't regret it because Tadashi could take him to new places and new heights and grow even stronger. It was a hard choice to make.

'Lucario?' Tadashi said again, gaining Lucario's expression.

'Sorry, I was just...thinking...' Lucario said as he looked back at Tadashi.

'It's okay partner...but I would like it if you would level with me on this...' Tadashi said as he looked Lucario in the eyes.

As he was about to get some answers, he felt a very familiar yet different presence. It was closing in rather fast and blurred right by him, knocking his Lucario to the ground. Tadashi looked to see what it was, only to find the other Lucario staring angrily at his brother.

Tadashi's Lucario got up and shook off the blow and stared back at his brother with a bewildered expression. Korrina's Lucario was here? But why? Tadashi could see that he was visibly furious, and it soon dawned on Tadashi that he had every right to be.

'What is your problem?!' Tadashi's Lucario called out, not getting a response from his brother who lashed out at him with a bone rush, knocking him to the ground before pinning him.

'You! You are the problem. Do you have any idea what I just went through right now? Because of you, she is crying because you dropped her to go with this trainer! Although I wasn't too keen about the idea of you leaving her for another trainer, I respected her wishes. But after I saw her weeping, after I saw how she truly felt, I could not bring myself to let this go unpunished. I should kill you for this!' Korrina's Lucario growled, putting his paws to his brother's throat.

"Lucario, please stop!" A voice cried out, prompting him to turn around after nearly seeing red.

It was Korrina. Apparently she'd followed him after he took off. It was just like her to know what he was thinking, or was it Gurkinn who suspected it? He was walking beside her after all.

"Please Lucario...this is not our way. We don't seek vengeance on family!" Korrina called out, tears welling up in her eyes as she dawned a stern expression.

'Family? You still view this traitor as family?' Lucario replied, shocked that she still regarded him as such.

'Yes, yes I do...and if you hurt him then you are no better than he is after he left. Lucario left, and I'm already hurt by it, I don't need you deepening my pain by hurting him!' She shot back.

Her Lucario stopped and looked down at his brother. He was clearly in pain and nearly suffocating from the grip he was being held down by. Korrina's Lucario slowly loosed his grip from his brother's and began to stand up. His brother looked up at him with saddened eyes. After reading his aura, he could tell that his brother had indeed felt some remorse for his actions. Korrina's Lucario was so angry with him that he didn't even stop to think about reading his aura.

'I'm sorry Korrina...if you wish, I can leave if you want...what I just did was shameful,' he said, looking back at Korrina who darted over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, weeping again as she spoke.

"No...don't! I can't bare that feeling again. It's bad enough that I'm dealing with it now, I don't need it to get worse!" She spoke aloud.

Tadashi felt extremely out of place at the moment. He was glad the others weren't around at this point. His Lucario looked at his former trainer and said nothing for a long time. She was crying her eyes out over her Lucario's shoulder which was painful to watch. He felt awful. After a few minutes he couldn't take it any longer. He walked over to Korrina and joined the weeping session. Seeing this, Korrina's eyes grew wide and she pulled away from him for a moment, a hurt and confused expression on her face.

'I'm sorry...Korrina...I betrayed your trust. I acted selfishly and did not consider your feelings. I have dishonored you and Gurkinn. I have no right to be owned by anyone at this point. It would probably be best if I had Tadashi release me. It would be better that way...' He said through bitter tears.

Korrina didn't know what to say. Neither did Tadashi. Both trainers made eye contact with each other and no words were spoken. Tadashi felt bad for taking Lucario off her hands and she could feel that coming from him. She saw that he cared for Lucario as much as he cared for the Pokemon he caught fair and square. She looked down at Lucario and frowned.

"I don't remember raising a quitter..." Korrina spat.

Lucario looked up only to see her leg coming down for a drop kick which he promptly blocked, her leg pressing its full weight onto him, causing him to push back.

"Do you honestly think that by running away from this that it will change anything? Seriously, I raised you better than that! No matter what we did together you never gave up, never gave in! Even when the odds were stacked against us you rose to the occasion. Even when I couldn't control you during your Mega state you still didn't let that bring you down. To see you wanting to run away is an absolute disgrace. If you do this I will regret ever calling you MY partner! Do you understand me?!" Korrina yelled, increasing the pressure of her leg onto Lucario who pushed back more and finally threw her off.

Korrina got up with a smirk on her tearstained face.

"Now that's the Lucario I brought up..." She said as she faced him.

Tadashi's Lucario was still crying, at this point. She was right. If he ran he would be a coward and if he gave up he would be lower than dirt. As if he wasn't that bad already after what he'd done? His brother looked him dead in the eyes, still upset at him for what he'd done but more calm now. The hurt hadn't left his or Korrina's eyes and it was painful for him to look at. But what else could he do? What he'd done was unforgivable and it would take time to mend the broken bond he'd created.

"Go...go and get stronger Lucario. Go with Tadashi and realize your potential. I know that's what you wanted all along. It still hurts me to see that you up and left me after I raised you like my own son. It will take some time for me to forgive you for that you know that right?" Korrina said sternly, earning a nod from Lucario.

"Good...now...Tadashi" She stated, glaring at him and catching his attention.

"You'd better take good care of him. He was mine first and to me he still is. Do not make me regret this decision anymore than I already have you hear me? You had better raise him with care like I did or so help me Arceus I will drop kick you into the ground, am I clear?" Korrina stated firmly.

"Crystal..." Tadashi said, sweat-dropping at this point.

"Good..." Korrina said, finally smiling like she usually did.

Gurkinn had said nothing for the longest time. He didn't really need to as everything had been laid out on the table. A proud smile etched its way onto his features as he saw how much his granddaughter had grown. She used to be such a kid, and difficult to train to be as strong as she was today. Nothing more needed to be said at this point.

"Lucario...take care. But just know this...if you ever decide to come back, you had better be prepared for a fight before I accept you back. I expect to see you stronger than ever before because if I don't you will have a problem. I want to see just how far Tadashi will push you. So do not disappoint me," Korrina said sternly. Her words had a hint of iciness to them as she spoke.

The hurt and pain was still in her eyes and they were practically bloodshot from crying. But through that, Lucario could see that she was serious. Even though she was hurting, he knew she wanted him to have what he wanted, even if she detested him for it. Korrina still loved him, even though he did this to her. She hated herself for letting him go. But she wouldn't mourn over it for too much longer. The other Lucario still remained faithful and for that she was glad.

"Korrina...I..." Tadashi began, pausing to find the right words to say.

"Don't even say it Tadashi. There is no need to apologise. You didn't know how much Lucario and I had been through. You were ignorant of that and for that I don't blame you. Lucario knows what he's done and has a lifetime to make amends for it which I will expect him to do as my final orders for him," Korrina stated firmly, turning to face Tadashi with a serious expression.

"Just take care of him okay? I am already torn over him leaving me...I don't want to suffer anymore than I already am should something happen to him. I know you all are going after Team Flare. I know it was you and your friends who stopped them in the forest. I know you used Lucario to protect the city. You have a good heart. I can see clearly why Lucario wanted to go with you. I don't like it but I can't change it. He chose you over me and as much as it hurts, I don't want to be the type of trainer who turns their Pokemon into a mindless zombie. So please, do me a favor...use Lucario as much as you can and beat the ever living daylights out of Team Flare. But don't lose yourself in doing so" Korrina cautioned.

Tadashi took a deep breath as he thought about what to say. Korrina was so torn over this and he felt bad. But it seemed like Korrina wasn't going to let him mope about it. She hadn't gotten over it but she wasn't letting it control her. So why should he? He looked her in the eyes and said nothing for a while. He parted his lips to speak after carefully considering his words.

"I will...I will train him as you would have done if he were still with you. I will keep him safe as I know you have done for him. And I will...no...we will bring down Team Flare, my friends and I that is. That much you can count on," Tadashi said, getting a nod of approval from Korrina.

"Thank you Tadashi...it means a lot to me to hear you say that. I'm counting on you to keep your word. Don't disappoint me Tadashi..." Korrina said as she put her fist out towards him.

Tadashi looked at it for a moment only to realise she wanted a fist bump. He smiled softly and obliged.

"Now...pinky promise me..." Korrina said as she held out her pinky.

Tadashi looked at it for the longest time. His eyes grew wide at that moment as he remembered doing something similar with his dad. It was the day he left to go to the volcano to show his students around. Grace didn't really like the idea as she felt it was too dangerous. She was against it but it didn't stop him. He reassured her that he would be fine. She took comfort in the confidence in his voice and loosened up a bit. Tadashi remembered making his dad pinky promise to come back and go get his trainer card with his mother when he got back. Sadly, that never happened.

Tadashi looked at her pinky for a little longer before lowering his sunglasses over his eyes. He didn't want her to see him cry either. He'd seen enough of that for one day. He took her pinky in his and secured the promise.

"I promise," he said as he looked at her with a soft smile.

"Thank you..." she said, tearing up again before pulling him into a tight hug.

Tadashi hugged her back and the two soon pulled apart. Both Lucario's looked at each other seriously. Before they looked at one another as enemies instead of the brothers that they were. Now they looked at each other as friends once again. Lucario's brother still hadn't forgiven him for what he'd done, but he knew he couldn't forgive himself for causing Korrina more pain by hurting his brother.

Korrina and her Lucario soon left the area, leaving Tadashi and his Lucario to their own devices. Gurkinn remained behind for a moment which puzzled Tadashi a little.

"She's come a long way...I'm surprised that the same girl who complained as a child is the same girl who stood before me now. Life is funny like that sometimes isn't it Tadashi?" Gurkinn said with a serious expression.

"Errr...yes sir" Tadashi said as he glanced back at Gurkinn.

"Listen closely Tadashi. Remember my granddaughter's words. Your aura is unique in that it changes with your emotions rapidly. Do not let your emotions cloud your judgement. That is all I am going to say to you for now. Be careful on your journey and don't try to be the hero all the time. Even heroes need to know when to draw back so they can fight another day. Do not needlessly push yourself..." Gurkinn stated as he turned to walk away.

"And most importantly...have fun, it's a journey. And there will be many more before you reach my age young man. So cherish these moments while you are still young. So not rush them. Keep your eyes focused on the goal. Be as wise a Seviper, but as harmless as a Pidove," Gurkinn stated before walking off.

"Thank you, Gurkinn..." Tadashi called out, stopping Gurkinn in his tracks.

"You're welcome, be well on your journey. And remember these words I've shared with you," Gurkinn said as he walked away.

'I will...' Tadashi thought as he looked back at Lucario.

"We have a lot of work to do partner. We've been given a task to complete and that is what we will do. I'm counting on you Lucario," Tadashi said firmly.

'I will not disappoint you Tadashi. I did that once...' Lucario said as he looked at the spot where Korrina stood.

'I will not do so again...' Lucario replied.

'I'll hold you to it then,' Tadashi said as he held out his hand for Lucario to take.

The two shook on it and then turned to walk away. His friends were all at the beach, and that's where he needed to be. He would keep the meeting with Korrina to himself as that was something between the two of them.

As he got to the beach, he was greeted by with a thump to the back of the head by Clarice. He rubbed his head and glared at her.

"What took you so long Tadashi? We've been waiting for over an hour!" Clarice snarled.

"Sorry, I had to...take care of something," Tadashi said, with a grumble, not exactly happy about the greeting he'd been given.

"Well it's about time you got here. We were getting worried that you'd run off or something," Clarice said with a grimace.

"Wait...you were worried?" Tadashi said with a bewildered expression.

"Of...of course I was. Who else am I going to yell at when it gets old with Victor?" Clarice stated, hiding the real reason why she worried.

"Right...as if that will ever get old," Trinity laughed, causing Victor's eyebrow to twitch in annoyance.

"Very funny you guys? Now, can we get back to having fun? I didn't come here to stand around I came to hang at the beach, get wet and play chicken!" Victor said with a smirk.

"Well in that case..." Tadashi stated, throwing off his shirt and kicking off his sandals.

"Let's get to it!" Tadashi shouted.

"I call Tadashi's team!" Trinity quickly called out.

"Fine, I suppose I'll side with Victor," Clarice said distastefully.

And so the game of chicken began. The four of them, even though they hadn't known each other for very long, looked as if they had grown up together. Sadly, they still were unaware of the danger that was in their midst. Trinity was laying low for now, but sooner or later it would be time to act. For now, the group just had fun. New adventures awaited them on the horizon. Where their paths would lead even they did not know.

_**That marks the end of another chapter. How did you like it? Did I display Korrina's feelings well enough? I hope you all liked it. I put a lot of time into writing it and it was a challenge at first because of how Korrina was portrayed in the game to not seemingly care too much that she'd given up her dear friend. I hope this fills in some gaps that were clearly left out. Tadashi and the gang are still blissfully unaware of the threat that Trinity is. Gets you wondering when she will strike right? To find out you're gonna have to read on. Stay tuned for more on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	14. Chapter 14

**Weeeeeeelcome back to another chapter! So, tell me. How did you all like the last chapter? What could I have done better? What did I do well? I'm dying to know! Anyway, my excitement aside, the next few chapters will be less about the journey and more about who the trainers are. So far, all we know is a bit of their back story. So, without further ado, I bring you the next chapter of The Flames of Revolution! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 14: An Artist's Dream**

It was noon in Lumiose City. The sun shone brightly through the window of the bedroom of a young 15 year old Victor. The young lad was still in his pajamas, lying on his bed with a sketch pad in front of him. His mother's Pokemon, Bagon, was sitting down in front of him, holding a fixed expression as the boy drew. Victor was a very detail oriented boy and his drawings and paintings all showed this.

One of his paintings even made it into the Art Museum in Lumiose which was a great accomplishment for someone his age. Victor looked up at Bagon with a frown as the little dragon had moved a little.

"Come on Bagon, stay still, I'm almost done!" Victor whined, causing the blue little dragon to grumble before returning to the same fixed expression while Victor drew.

Soon Victor completed his drawing and walked over to the easel and placed the picture on it and began to reproduce the copy. Bagon got up and walked over to the easel to look at the painting his owner's son was creating. It looked exactly like him which was astounding to the little dragon. It was as if he were looking at a reflection of himself on a piece of cardboard no less.

Victor smiled at his work as he began to paint what he'd done, paying very close attention to detail as he went along. He was so focused that he didn't even notice his mother calling him down to eat.

"Victor? Are you awake yet? Dear Arceus child, you can sleep like nobody else I know. I'm coming in!" His mother announced, opening up the door to find Victor painting and not sleeping.

"Oh, you are awake. And creating another masterpiece I see," Victor's mother, Anne, said proudly as she admired her son's work.

"Thanks mom," Victor said with a happy smile, continuing to paint while his mother watched.

"I'll be downstairs finishing up in the kitchen. You should come down and eat something. I don't want you turning into a starving artist..." Anne said with a soft laugh, walking out of the room, pausing to say something else.

"By the way, your trainer card came," she said, knowing that would get his attention.

Victor's eyes grew wide as he heard those words. Was it here already? That was fast. Was it finally time? Oh he hoped so! Carefully picking up his painting and a travel easel he rushed downstairs. There was absolutely nothing that could deter him from his work, even the prospect of finally going on a journey.

As he got downstairs, he set up his easel and set his paints down and continued his work. His mother looked at him quizzically and sighed, shaking her head.

"I can never get you away from that thing can I? Could you put the brush down for one second so we can talk?" His mother asked politely.

Victor thought about it for a moment, and then decided it wouldn't hurt too much to do so. He set the brush down and turned to listen to what his mother had to say.

"This is your trainer card. Now I want you to promise me that you won't do anything stupid when you go off on your journey. After what happened to your grandfather I know how you must feel. But we don't need to be targeted when we made it a point to get away from our former life. Promise me that you will adhere to what I am saying and you can have your card," Anne said as she held out the card, waiting for a response.

Victor thought about it. Really thought about it. He never was one to get into direct confrontations with anyone. However, he did have a deep, burning desire to go after Team Flare for the loss of his grandfather. However, at this point they hadn't surfaced in such a long time. He was tempted to think they had finally grown some sense and stopped their evil ways...but he knew better than that. Victor was no dunce. A sigh escaped his lips as he took the card.

"I promise," Victor said as he pocketed the card.

"Good, you meet with Professor Sycamore today. He's rather excited to meet with you. He will give you a Pokemon to take with you on your journey. But before you go, I'd like to ask a favor of you," Anne said with a bright smile.

"Bagon, come here sweetheart!" Anne called out, prompting the little blue, hard headed dragon to come towards her.

"Mom, what are you-?" Victor inquired before being cut off.

"I want you to take Bagon along with you Victor. You two have grown up together. Ever since you were five he's been by your side. He never had the chance to battle or do anything because your father and I were always busy. He became somewhat of a house Pokemon but now I think it's time he went on a journey. Isn't that right Bagon?" Anne said as she looked down at her little friend who nodded, confirming her statement.

"So, what do you say son? He's been around you a heck of a lot longer than me. He sleeps in your room, eats by you. Even though he's mine it's almost as if he were meant for you," Anne grinned.

Victor sat there for a moment, mainly looking at the subject of a few of his drawings. It was true, Bagon was there for a lot of his accomplishments. The two were thick as thieves and that wasn't going to change. A soft smile crossed Victor's features as he stood up and walked over to Bagon, crouching down to look it between the eyes.

"Well, what do you say Bagon? Wanna come on a journey with me?" Victor asked curiously.

Bagon didn't hesitate to nod. It joyfully pounced Victor, flooring him as usual.

"I guess that's a yes," Victor laughed, picking up Bagon and setting him down.

"That settles it then, Bagon, go with Victor. Fulfill your dream as he aims for his. After all, you dream of flying as much as he dreams of being a famous artist," Anne giggled.

"That is true, we both have dreams that we want to fulfill. And with each other's help I know we can do it. Right Bagon?!" Victor cheered.

Bagon nodded and leaped up excitedly.

"Well, you two should get going, the Professor is waiting for you now. Make sure you contact me as soon as you are done so I know when you are leaving," Anne said as Victor ran upstairs to get dressed.

"Of course, not to worry mom!" Victor called down as he hauled his art supplies into his room.

Victor quickly packed up all of his art supplies, well, mainly a few things for his easel and his sketch pad. He stuck his portable easel in his backpack along with his other supplies and bounded down the stairs after getting dressed.

"Hold it Victor!" Anne stated as she saw him about to bolt out the door. She held out Bagon's pokeball for him to take, which he did.

"Ahem?" She said, tapping her foot, awaiting to get what she wanted from her son, which was a hug.

"Oh, right, sorry mom!" Victor said as hugged his mother tightly.

"Thank you son. Now get out there and do your best and make me proud," Anne said, kissing her son on the cheek before letting him go.

Victor raced out the door and made a beeline for the lab. As he got there he could see that Professor Sycamore was already waiting for him.

"Ah, you must be Victor Montague, am I correct?" Sycamore inquired, getting a nod from Victor.

"Tres bien! I have been expecting you. Come with me so we can get you started," Sycamore said with an enthusiasm.

Victor followed Sycamore into the room where he kept all of the Pokemon. Victor's eyes went wide as he saw how beautiful the surroundings were. Pokemon of all types were running around and playing with each other. It was like a tropical paradise. He was tempted to take out his easel and sketch pad but he knew he had no time for that. He would have to do that another day.

"Now first off, let me introduce to you the Pokemon we have for you to choose from," Sycamore said as he directed Victor to a specific side of the room.

There was a fox-like Pokemon with a yellow body curled up and sleeping in the grass. It's beauty caught Victor's attention immediately. His eyes were then directed to a frog-like Pokemon with a blue body sitting on a lilly pad. The last one he saw was a bipedal mammal Pokemon with a light brown tummy and darker brown arms. It had what appeared to be a shell that went from its head all the way down to its tail. Victor was rather curious about this one too. He was moreso drawn to the beautiful fox though.

"Allow me to introduce to you, Fennekin, Chespin and Froakie," Sycamore said as he pointed out each starter.

"So I get to pick one of them huh? They all look like great Pokemon, however one has caught my eye," Victor stated, looking directly at Fennekin.

Sycamore noticed this and a nervous expression fixated itself on his features.

'I was hoping to save that for the girl that's to come in today...maybe there's a chance that will still happen...' Sycamore thought, sweat-dropping as Victor neared Fennekin.

Fennekin's ears twitched as it felt the presence of someone near her. Her eyes opened up to see Victor looking down at her. She sniffed him and immediately turned up her nose.

"Hey there Fennekin, you up for a journey with me?" Victor stated, reaching out to touch Fennekin. Big mistake.

Fennekin growled at him in a threatening manner, causing Victor to turn around to look at Sycamore.

"What's wrong with Fennekin?" Victor asked curiously, unsure of why she was snarling at him.

"She's very picky and doesn't seem to like males very much. The last male trainer that had didn't treat her well from what I understand. After I found her I took care of her and made her feel welcome. She's hard to tolerate but she could be a great addition to a team," Sycamore stated, his eyes widening as he looked down at Victor's now smoking pant leg.

Victor smelled the smoke as the fire steadily licked the back of his pants, causing him to roll on the ground to put it out. After finally managing to put it out he sat up and looked at the other Pokemon. Chespin, who had seen the incident, waddled over to Victor to see if he was okay.

"Hey there Chespin..." Victor said with a soft smile.

"Ches...pin?" Chespin spoke up.

"Well, I guess that's a no on Fennekin so now it's onto another one," Victor sighed as he looked down at Chespin who was looking up at him curiously.

After a moment of deliberation he made his choice.

"Professor, I want Chespin," Victor said, causing the little spiny Pokemon to smile and jump excitedly.

"Magnifique!" Sycamore exclaimed.

"Here, this is Chespin's pokeball. Here are five others and this is your pokedex. It records all of the data you receive on Pokemon," Sycamore said with a bright smile.

Victor smiled softly and stood up, glancing back at Fennekin with a sigh. Fennekin simply looked away and laid back down, closing her eyes to continue her nap.

"It's a bummer, I wanted Fennekin, but it was a close race between Fennekin and Chespin in my mind...I guess in a way, I got what I wanted," Victor smiled happily.

"Exactly, now let's see. There's a town not too far from here called Santalune City. There you can challenge the Gym Leader, Viola, and get your first badge. You are registered for the league too after all, right?" Sycamore said with a brilliant smile.

"You bet, but first...I wanna go to the Art Museum and see how my painting is doing. I am working on another submission and I want to make sure it gets done," Victor said with a smile before heading out the door.

"But of course! I admire the work that you do. When I learned that there was an aspiring artist in town I just had to go see the work you'd done. Your painting of Garchomp soaring through the skies was simply incredible. I really like how you made it look as though he was actually moving, even though it was just a painting," Sycamore said with a bright smile.

"Thanks, this next one is going to be just as good, if not better," Victor smiled happily.

"I look forward to seeing it Victor, good luck and I hope you make many friends along your journey," Sycamore said with a grin.

"You can count on that Professor," Victor said as he walked out the door.

And so began Victor's journey. He had no idea that he'd end up traveling with a bunch as crazy and dysfunctional as the one he was with. He sighed softly as he continued to paint the background to that portrait of Bagon he'd created the day he started out. He was out on the beach when Trinity walked up behind him.

"Oh my Arceus that is amazing!" Trinity exclaimed, dropping beside him to look at the detail of the piece.

"Uh...thanks, it's just a little something I've been working on," Victor stated as he continued painting. Bagon in the painting was looking up at the sky with a serious yet longing expression on his visage. He was sitting on a cliff miles off the ground. The sun was shining brightly and overshadowing it was a faint image of a Salamence soaring through the air. Below the cliffs water clashed against the rocky walls. The painting was just getting the finishing touches added to it.

"I wondered why you wanted to go back to your room that day instead of come outside with Tadashi and me. Now I know," Trinity said vivaciously.

As the two were talking, Tadashi and Clarice both came up behind them. Tadashi had been training with his Pokemon and Clarice was taking care of some business of her own. Both of them stopped in their tracks when they saw the painting.

"Wow, Victor, I never knew you were an artist. You've been holding out on us," Tadashi said, getting a nervous laugh from Victor.

"So he does have other uses aside from being a pest...I must say I'm very impressed with this. The style looks familiar though...I can't help but think I've seen that particular style of art before..." Clarice stated, picking her own brain for answers.

"If you're referring to the Garchomp painting in the Museum, then yes...you have seen this style before," Victor said with a soft smile.

"Wait, YOU did that?! That's like, my favorite painting in there next to the Floette in the flowerbed!" Clarice stated in a shocked tone.

"It's not all that great, It was just a little something I whipped up to enter into a contest," Victor said humbly.

"Oh don't you go trying to be modest on me mister! This entire trip you've been a layed back, teasing pain in the rear and now you are trying to pull the modesty card when you clearly have the makings of a great artist. Sorry Victor, but I don't buy that it was just a 'little something' that painting is one of the most looked at ones in the Museum," Clarice huffed.

Clarice too, had a love for art. Although she couldn't paint herself, or draw, she loved looking at paintings. She had a love for a different style of art however, but she would never share that with them. Not just yet anyway. This was the one thing she was shy about.

Victor blinked at Clarice's statement. Had she just complimented him? This was a first. A smile spread over his features as he turned to complete the painting.

"Thank you, Clarice, I needed that," Victor said with a soft smile.

"I agree with Clarice, you definitely are good at this. How come you didn't show us this before?" Tadashi inquired curiously.

"Well, I usually keep my hobbies private, but I guess today I decided to get out in the open. I couldn't help it, the ocean looked beautiful today and the atmosphere was so relaxing I couldn't resist," Victor chuckled.

"So is this your dream, to become an artist?" Clarice inquired curiously.

"Yep, it's what I've been doing since I was a kid. My mom swears I came out of the womb with a paintbrush in hand. I always had a fascination with drawing and painting. It grew the older I got. Aside from being a good trainer, my dream is to be known as a great artist. I want to make people happy with my paintings. It's what gives life meaning to me," Victor said with a smile.

"You've gotta show us more of your work, I would simply love to see it," Trinity chirped.

"Maybe later, right now I need to finish this. I am entering it in the museum soon so I wanna get that done as soon as I possibly can," Victor said as he got back to work.

And with that, the group sat around watching him paint. Victor was a bit of a mystery to them still. So far they had seen only a few of his Pokemon They had yet to know what his other two were. They now had a little more of an understanding of who Victor was and what he set out to accomplish. As the day was coming to a close, they all walked back to the Pokemon Center, save for Victor who was packing up his stuff.

After putting away his paints, he picked up Shelgon's pokeball.

"Come on out partner!" Victor said as he called out his friend.

"Take a look Shelgon, and tell me what you think," Victor said as he pointed to the painting of the Shelgon's former self.

Shelgon's eyes lit up at the sight which made Victor very happy.

"See that, Shelgon?" Victor said pointing to the darkened painting of salamence as he flew across the sky in front of the sun.

"That's gonna be you one day. You and I are one step closer to realizing our dreams," Victor said with a bright smile.

Shelgon pounced on Victor once more as he had done before he left.

"Shelgon...you've gotten a bit heavier...could you please get off?" Victor protested, managing to get his Pokemon to move off of his chest.

Shelgon weighed well over 200 pounds which was not exactly comfortable when sitting on top of him. Victor stood up and laughed a little as his Pokemon stared at the painting with longing in his eyes. He dreamed of flying still and knew that it was a long ways off before he would get the chance. Still, he would do whatever it took to realize his own dream and help Victor with his.

"Well, we should probably get some rest. Tomorrow we're heading out since the roads should be clear by then. It's going to take us a while to get to the next city so we need to get some rest. I'm going to need you in that match..." Victor said as he took out Shelgon's pokeball.

"Return, Shelgon," Victor said as he returned his companion to his ball.

He then turned tail and proceeded to head back to the Pokemon Center to get some rest. The gang had a long day ahead of them tomorrow. All of them slept peacefully, however Trinity was still awake in bed, contemplating what to do next. After deliberating when to make her move, she decided to put it aside and get some rest. She was tired as all get out and needed some rest. Hey, even assasins have to sleep sometime, right?

_**And the look into what makes Victor, Victor, is done. So tell me, did you all enjoy getting a look at who he is aside from a laid back trainer? It certainly was enjoyable to write. And I hope it was enjoyable to read as well. I hope you all are enjoying everything so far. I'm slowly tying up some loose ends that need to be addressed with the characters so I hope you all stick around to see what I have planned, next time on The Flames of Revolution!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**It's that time again. It took me a while to come up with how to write this chapter. Before we get into that, what did you think of the last one? I decided to make Victor an aspiring artist mainly due to the fact that I myself love to do the exact same thing. Anyway, enough about that. Now, before we get started, I'd like to say a HUGE thank you to PhantomGalaxy13 for giving me an idea for Chapter 13! Much love brudah! I didn't get to say it last time so here it is now. Without further ado, let's get to it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 15: Voice of Serenity**

Clarice awoke early that morning. It had been a while since she got a good nights rest. Memories of how her father treated her seemed to be haunting her as of late. She never told the others that she was having recurring nightmares, mainly due to her not wanting to appear afraid and also due to pride. They had already seen her vulnerable once already, she wasn't exactly happy about it. Though their relations improved, she still found the two boys difficult to get along with. Tadashi, she was starting to warm up to more. As for Victor...well, that would take a while.

And then there was Trinity. Now there was a difficult puzzle to solve right there. She was a very vivacious girl and always seemed to be in a chipper mood, which annoyed Clarice a little. Okay, it annoyed her a lot. The good thing, however, was that she wasn't the only girl in the group now. And the two seemed to resonate on certain things when it came to the other two in the group. She figured her odds at getting along with her were a little better to say the least.

There was one thing that still bothered her. Trinity was all over Tadashi like a Chespin after finding a bunch of muffins. And honestly? She hated that. She didn't know why she felt that way. It was something she was going to have to figure out for herself. That day would come eventually. For now, she'd just have to get used to having her around. She did help them out back on route 12 however, which was a good thing. She still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off and it bothered her.

Deciding to forgo those thoughts for now, Clarice stood up and stripped down and put on her bath robe and run the water. This was her private time. A time when she could escape the rest of the hectic world for once and just relax. She found the bottle of liquid to create a bubble bath and poured some of it in the tub. The tub soon filled up and she let the robe fall from her shoulders as she stepped into the tub. She sank into the hot water and sighed happily.

She began to drift off into a daydream. Recalling fond memories to her mind to push away the darker more horrid ones that were in the way. It was four years prior to the start of her journey. She was with her mother while her father was away on 'business.' He said he'd be back in a week, which Clarice believed at the time. Her mother sat at the piano and began to play while Clarice sang. In her hands was a little Floette plushie that she always carried with her. It was her favorite and she would never be seen without it.

"Magnifique Clarice! Beautiful as always," Her mother,Claudia said with a bright smile.

"Merci mother, I try my best," Clarice said as she bowed to her mother.

"Shall we take a little break? I think I know a young girl who wants to go register for the Youth Vocal Competition," Claudia said with a soft smile.

Clarice's eyes widened as her mother said these words. She'd been wanting to do that for a while and she would finally get the chance. She was looking forward to singing to a crowd and most of all, making her father proud. That's all she really wanted from him. She tried so hard to gain his approval, but all he did was criticise her. A somber look spread over her features as she looked down a bit.

"Don't worry my little flower, your father will be there to see you compete," Claudia assured her. Although she herself was a bit worried, but she wouldn't let Clarice see it.

Clarice's eyes brightened at this remark. Maybe this would finally be her chance! She wasn't going to get her hopes up just yet though. She would need to practice hard if she was going to make it through the competition. It would take place a week from the day of registration.

Clarice and her mother got in line to register on the opposite side of Lumiose from where Victor lived. It was strange, they grew up in the same City but due to how large it was they never once bumped into each other. At least, not that she could recall anyway.

Clarice and Claudia were finally able to get her registered for the competition. Clarice couldn't have been more happy to get this chance. She couldn't wait for her father to get home. The first day happened to be the day after he would return from his trip which excited her even more.

That week went by fast for Clarice, but her father didn't return right away. Claudia got a call from her husband as he told her that his flight was delayed and that he wouldn't be back until later that evening, which was the evening the competition started. Clarice was a bit saddened by this news but she didn't let it get to her. She was just going to have to try hard and win.

Her father had always wanted a successful child. One that always scored high marks and won at everything they did. More specifically he wanted a son. Something that Clarice was not. Still, she strove to gain his approval, even after it being denied several times. 'I love you papa,' she would always say, but would get only a grunt in response.

The time came for Clarice and Claudia to go to the competition. Clarice was going to be in the middle of the competition so it would be a little while before she got her chance to shine on stage. The competition was fierce it seemed as many kids from ages ten to fifteen put on stunning performances. This drove Clarice to be more determined to win it. It was finally her time to get on stage. The song she had chosen was 'Rather be' by Clean Bandit. She loved that song and would always sing it whenever she got the chance.

The spotlight was on her as she looked out into the crowd. Her eyes scanned the crowd for her mother and found her right in the front row. The only thing missing was her father. Perhaps he would come during the song? She had no time to think about that now. Whether her father showed up or not, she was going to give it her all.

The music started and soon the song began. She began to sway to the rhythm of the song, keeping in step with it as she began the first verse.

"We're a thousand miles from comfort, we have traveled land and sea, but as long as you are with me...there's no place I'd rather be. I would wait forever, exalted in the scene. As long as I am with you, my heart continues to beat," she sang, gaining the crowds attention more than she already had it off the first note.

"With every step we take, Kyoto to The Bay, strolling so casually. We're different and the same, get you another name, switch up the batteries," she continued a smirk dawning her features as she kept going, getting more into it as she sang, drawing the judges attention to her which was a good thing.

"If you gave me a chance I would take it, it's a shot in the dark but I'll make it. Know with all of your heart, you can't shake me. When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be. N-n-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be!," She sang on, getting the crowd more into it as her performance went on.

"We staked out on a mission, to find our inner peace. Make it everlasting, so nothing's incomplete. It's easy being with you, sacred simplicity. As long as we're together, there's no place I'd rather be," She continued, getting the judges to stand up and dance along with her as she got into it more.

Soon she had the entire crowd singing and clapping their hands. There were a few other performances that managed to do this, but hers was something else. Soon she got to the last part of the song and by this time her eyes were still scanning the crowd for her father. They landed on her mother who smiled back at her. Her father was finally there right near the end of the song. How long had he been there? She didn't care, he was there!

She finished the song and the judges all clapped, remaining standing as they had before. They all sat down and wrote down the rest of their notes and the competition moved on. The night was coming to a close and the judges were making their final decisions. After singing several more songs that night, Clarice was exhausted. She had moved onto round after round, continuously impressing the judges and hopefully her father. The same stoic gaze never left his face however, which was saddening to say the least. All she wanted was to see him smile just once.

There were four finalists to choose from, Clarice being one of them of course. The others were another girl and two other boys. Each of them boasted great showmenship and were a treat to watch. But only one of them could be the winner.

The announcer got on stage and stood in front of the four finalists with a microphone in hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Did you all have fun tonight?!" The announcer asked, getting an excited response from the crowd.

"I hope so, because it's now that time! The judges have made their decision on who the winner of the Youth Vocal Competition for this year is. May I have the envelope please?" The announcer requested.

One of the judges got up and walked onto the stage to hand him the envelope.

"Thank you. And the winner, of this year's competition is...pause for effect..." The announcer said quietly as he opened the envelope.

The audience was silent as it awaited the verdict. Claudia was nervous, and her father simply crossed his arms, waiting for the winner to be revealed.

"Clarice Desiree!" The announcer belted out, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers.

Clarice couldn't have been any happier on that stage. She shouted for joy and jumped up and down excitedly. The announcer walked over to her and handed her a shiny golden trophy in the shape of a microphone. This would become her most treasured possession. She looked up from the crowd to see something she didn't expect.

Her father's expression had changed but only slightly. He closed his eyes and smiled for a moment before returning his face to its usual stoic gaze. It had finally happened. She managed to get him to smile! She couldn't get over it at that point. That was all she ever wanted for the longest time. Just once, for him to smile. Sadly, her jubilation wouldn't last.

About five months after that competition, her father and mother got divorced. Those 'business trips' he claimed to go on were business alright. With another woman. She was from the Unova region, a place her father frequented when his job sent him over there. He worked for Lysandre Labs and aided in the development of several of their various technologies including the holo caster.

To add to the pain, he left a very degrading letter to the both of them. He had called their relationship a waste of time and that after all the years they'd spent together, all he ever asked of Claudia was a son. When she didn't give him that, he was upset. He reminded her of the failure that she was each day. For a short time it looked as though their relationship was getting better. During her younger years, when she was between 8 and 10 years old, he didn't treat his mother as cruely as he did at first.

He still, however, regarded Clarice with contempt. While it seemed like the relationship was improving, it was a ruse to butter her mother up for divorce. It was this that marked the start of Clarice's down-spiral from innocence.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she began to shampoo her hair, singing the pre-chorus of 'Rather be' not really knowing if anyone was listening. She got really into the song without realizing it as she had always done whenever she sang. It was something she couldn't help in the slightest.

Tadashi, Trinity and Victor were all outside the door listening, joined by a few new kids who they had bumped into in the hallway.

"N-n-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be! N-n-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be! When I am with you there's no place I'd rather be..." She sang as she got up and drained the tub, putting a towel around her body and hair so it could dry.

"And here I thought I was hearing a chorus of angels...it seems like Little Miss Attitude also has a hidden talent that she kept hidden," Trinity snickered in a low voice.

"I know...she has an amazing voice...I wonder why she hasn't been singing?" Tadashi said softly as he backed away to go to his room.

"Where are you going Tadashi?" Victor asked curiously.

"As much as I love the sound of her voice...the part of it I won't like will come soon if you two...and them...don't get away from her door. I'd rather not start off with a grumpy Clarice," Tadashi said with a nervous laugh.

Visions of Clarice breathing fire like a Charizard ran through Victor's overactive imagination along with Trinity's. The two shuddered and stepped away from her door and went to their respective rooms. The two boys and girl also left after hearing what Tadashi said and seeing the looks on Victor and Trinity's faces. They didn't want to face whatever fresh hell Clarice would release had she found out they were listening.

Clarice let the towel fall from her shoulders and she soon began to get dressed. She put on a black halter top that stopped above the naval. Next, she put on a white skirt to match it along with black leggings to go beneath it. She wore expensive looking white leather designer boots as well. She tied her hair up in a bun and left two long bangs coming down over both sides of her face. She applied light makeup and finished up by putting on earrings.

This was how Clarice liked to dress. She wanted to show she had style wherever she went. She had always felt she was born for stardom, and even though she was on a journey with two people she was growing to tolerate and one she was still figuring out, she wouldn't let that stop her from reaching her goals. She wanted to be the best. And that meant dressing like she meant business. Everyone always judged by the way a person presented themselves first. That was something she was always told and never forgot.

She picked up her pokeballs and slipped them onto the belt around her outfit. It sort of fit with the style she wore. She then reached into her bag and looked at the Floette plushie she still had with her. She hugged it before placing it in the bag. Pleased with her work, she picked up her bag and left the room. Tadashi had climbed out of his pajamas and into his father's outfit again. He washed it a few days prior and had worn something else until he decided to wear it again. And who could resist wearing it? Tadashi's mind was still replaying the song he heard Clarice singing several times over.

The two had come a long way since they first met. Before she was an insufferable girl who acted like a child. She felt a constant need to remind others that she was superior. A trait he detested right off the bat. And then there were those other times she was somewhat nice. He remembered how she fished around in her bag and pulled out 2000 pokedollars to give to the butler to go in.

She could have just as easily handed him her share and told Tadashi he was on his own. But she didn't. She helped him out which he appreciated. Had she not done so, the two would have never found that Furfrou or gotten to see the fireworks. And they definitely wouldn't have gotten by the Snorlax.

And of course, there was the Glittering Cave. The two made a pretty good team and worked together again to defeat the Team Flare grunts. And then Victor showed up and got them out of there before they were burned to ashes.

And then there was their second battle. Tadashi had lost badly to her the first time. He was inexperienced and was in no way ready to battle someone of her caliber. She seemed to already have the know-how when it came to battling. She trained hard and always was a step ahead of him from the start. But during their second battle, he won. And that's when the chips hit the fan. She spilled everything at that point and eventually apologized formally.

He even remembered how she smiled at him genuinely for the first time. Tadashi wasn't sure why he was blushing as he thought of this, but he quickly shook it away. He walked out of his room and as luck would have it, he ran into Clarice who happened to be walking out of the room, singing softly. She stopped as soon as she made eye-contact with Tadashi.

"H-hi...Clarice..." Tadashi said as he looked at what she was wearing. She looked really nice to him which, then again, she always did.

"You should take a picture...it will last longer..." she said flatly as she walked by.

She too was secretly blushing as she walked to the stairs. Tadashi grimaced at this remark. Yes, she was still the typical Clarice. She made her way downstairs, Tadashi following behind, strapping on his backpack as he walked.

"Well, is everyone ready?" Clarice inquired.

"Well look who's all dressed up. Where are you going tonight?" Victor teased.

"Nowhere, sadly. I'm stuck with you three aren't I? What, can't a girl dress up?" She grumbled, shaking her head as she walked towards the nurse, handing her the key to her room.

"Relax, I was just joking, no need to get upset," Victor laughed.

"Well your jokes aren't funny and are devoid of taste..." Clarice muttered.

"She's right you know..." Trinity said with a smirk.

"Oh come on, not you too!" Victor said, hanging his head in defeat.

"Face it Victor, you'll never win," Tadashi chuckled, walking up to the group who focused their attention on him.

"Well, I did a little checking up on things and it looks as though the way is clear." Tadashi said as he walked towards the door.

"Tadashi?" The nurse called to him as he was about to leave.

"Yes?" He called back watching as the nurse gave him a smile.

"Your package is here," The nurse stated.

Tadashi blinked as he heard the nurse mention something about a package. He didn't remember ordering anything, so what could it be?

_**And so the lights go down on another chapter. A small glimpse into Clarice's past reveals a different side of her the group had yet to see. And as the group is about to head off towards Coumarine City, Tadashi is informed that he has a package for him that just arrived. What could it be? Find out on the next exciting chapter of The Flames of Revolution!**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Aloha and good evening fellow viewers! I do hope you all enjoyed the previous chapter. It shed a little light on how Clarice used to be. What? Did you think she was always that snobby? All sweet things in life go bad eventually if not taken care of right? Anywho, it's time to get things started. Once again, thank you to everyone who has been reading and those who have been reviewing. It's been quite enjoyable to read all of the reviews. All of your advice has helped me a lot! Those giving it, you know who you are. Now, let's get into it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 16: Elegance on the Strings**

The group had been traveling on route 12 for quite some time by this point. Tadashi was now carrying a new object along with him. It was a guitar case by the looks of things. Why his mother had sent it he couldn't figure out. At least guitar cases were light so he wouldn't have to worry about getting tired of carrying it around. They had all decided to go off and find a quiet place to rest for a while. They were walking on a beautiful forested area after all.

Tadashi sat under a tree with his guitar case and opened it up to find a note attached to it. It was from his mother. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he took the note and read it.

"Dear Tadashi,

I miss you already son. It's gotten rather lonely in this house without you here. Then again, it got that way when your father died. You and I had it tough for a while didn't we? Anyway, I knew you'd forgotten something when you left home. You were in such a hurry to get started on your journey that you forgot your guitar. You usually never went anywhere without it. Ever since you were eight you began taking lessons and never stopped.

The reason I am calling it your guitar, not your fathers, is because you always had it on you. Your father never played it much anymore. He did teach you everything you know and you eventually developed into a fine guitarist. And now you're on a journey. I'm surprised it didn't dawn on you to come back home and get it. So, I took the liberty of sending it to you. You're in Shalour City right now right? I am so proud of you Tadashi...sorry, I'm trying not to cry while writing this.

Anyway, I do hope you continue to play. I miss your playing around the house, especially on those rainy days when there was nothing else to do. I think it will do you some good. Also, three badges huh? You seem to be moving right along. I know you will make it to the top. And say hello to your friends for me, Sycamore tells me you've made some nice ones. Especially a young lady named Clarice. Go get her son.

P.S. Remember to fix your hair every once in a while...I'm serious sometimes it's such a mess. It's just like your father used to have it.

I love you son,

Mom.

Tadashi couldn't help but notice tear stains on the letter. So much for not crying. He folded up the note and smiled softly as he tucked it away.

"Thanks mom..." he said to himself as he picked up his guitar from the case. It was about time for him to really relax.

This was his outlet whenever he was frustrated, which explained why he seemed to be uneasy and waking up earlier than usual. He never really liked getting out of bed. But as of late, he was waking up at six in the morning which was unusual for him. Now he knew why. Normally, he'd play himself a song, and sing himself to sleep. He was a somewhat decent vocalist, but his true talent was in the guitar.

He had picked it up at eight years old and fell in love with the instrument. His father had always taken it with him on his travels as a trainer, which explained why his mother fell for him in the first place. All it took was one song and she was 'putty in his hands' according to him. Grace on the other hand, had a different story. The two never really saw eye to eye when it came to who fell for who first. Not that it mattered at the moment.

He began to tune the guitar, listening for the right sound as he tuned each string. He never really was able to read music. But he had an uncanny ability to be able to play by ear. Call it a hidden talent so to speak. After tuning the guitar he gave it a strum so he could hear all the strings. It was a pleasant sound to his ears.

Tadashi soon began to play a rather relaxing melody as a warmup. Now Tadashi wasn't your run of the mill guitarist. Unlike those who simply played the guitar, he was a bit different. He looked as the instrument as an extension of himself. He looked at the guitar the same way that Victor looked at his paintbrush. The guitar was the brush, preloaded with every color one could think of, ready to pour out onto the canvas called sound in a beautiful display. Yes, Tadashi was the artist on a canvas of sound.

After warming up, he began to play the song 'I Promise it's not Goodbye.' It wasn't a difficult song to play, and it was a rather sad one at that. But after reading the note his mother wrote, he found it an appropriate one to play.

"Mommy, please don't cry, I'm as safe as I can be. I know must miss me, but I've finally been set free. If you find that you need me, I'll be waiting right here, to help you get through and take away all your fear" He sang, his voice and playing traveling through the trees to his friends who were talking together.

Victor and Clarice had gotten into an argument about something when Tadashi's voice and playing reached their ears.

"Is...is that Tadashi?" Clarice said mid argument, causing the others to stop and listen.

"I love you so much mom, but it's time for me to fly. I'll talk to you every night, and I swear it's not goodbye..." He sang, modifying part of the verse since he couldn't exactly 'visit' her every night as the song originally stated.

"I think it is...let's just listen," Victor said, closing his eyes with the rest of the group. Even Trinity couldn't help but feel relaxed as Tadashi played.

Tadashi was already at the last verse, which was a hard one for him to sing. Mainly because his father wasn't alive anylonger.

"Daddy, please don't cry, I'm still here everyday. It may not be the same, but beside you I still lay. When you think of me tonight, Hold me tight in your mind. If you ever again need me, I won't be hard to find. I love you so much daddy, but it's time for me to fly. I'll talk to you every night I promise...it's not...goodbye..." He managed to sing, choking back tears as he stopped playing.

A sigh escaped his lips as he remembered learning that song for the first time. His father learned it before he went on his journey and soon taught it to Tadashi so he could sing it whenever he went on his. Tadashi's mind went back to that day. It seemed like not too long ago when his father sat him down to teach him. He remembered it well.

It was a day like any other. His father had gotten home from work and Tadashi was outside wrestling with the Furret in his yard just for the fun of it. The two were friends with each other and played as though they were siblings, albeit it would be strange to have a Pokemon as a sibling.

"Tadashi!" He called out, catching the boy's attention as he was now laying under a furret on his stomach. Furret was now sitting on top of him laughing at Tadashi's expense. Tadashi grinned and rolled over, throwing the critter off.

"Tadashi, come here for a minute will you? You can wrestle your friend later there's something I want to teach you," his father said with a chuckle.

Tadashi got up and ran inside the house to find his father getting out the guitar. Tadashi sat down as his father motioned for him to do so.

"Tadashi, pretty soon it's going to be time for you to go on an adventure. You will make new friends and some enemies too. But you must never forget who you are on your journey. I've been meaning to teach you this song a for a long time, but I've been so busy lately I haven't had the time. But now that it's almost time for you to head out I figure that now is as good a time as any," his father said with a smile.

"Daichi, honey? Are you home?" Grace called out, making her way into the room to find her husband already with the guitar in his hands.

"I see you're helping Tadashi learn more songs, I just wanted to let you know that I'll be starting dinner soon. I'm making everyone's favorite, chicken alfredo!" Grace said with a smile, walking over to her husband and kissing him softly on the lips before turning to Tadashi and kissing his forehead.

"That sounds heavenly dear, I can't wait!" Daichi exclaimed, turning to his son to begin teaching him.

"What do you say we get right to it and pick it up after dinner? We've got about a week or so until your birthday and you know what that means don't you?" Daichi smirked.

Of course Tadashi knew what that meant. It was the thing he looked forward to the most. As much as he loved seeing his old man in action, he wanted a piece of the action too. Having a tendency to draw Pokemon to him was a talent of his and he wasn't going to let it go to waste.

"Judging by the grin you are wearing, I'd say you know. Good, now, shall we get started?" Daichi said with a grin.

"Let's do this dad!" Tadashi said eagerly.

The two began learning the song slowly at first. But because of Tadashi's uncanny ability to pick up on music, he began to learn it rather quickly. Now he just had to practice singing and playing it at the same time. It wasn't before long that he was able to do so.

"Very good son!" Daichi said after a week of playing the song.

"Thanks dad!" Tadashi chimed happily.

"You've got it down pat. Tomorrow is your birthday, and when I get home we are going straight to the Pokemon Center to register you for the Hoenn League. Does that sound good son?" Daichi asked with a grin on his visage.

Little Tadashi couldn't contain the excitement he felt. He wanted tomorrow to already be there. This was what he had been waiting for all of his life and now it was finally coming true...or at least...it would have if that incident didn't occur. The devastation he and his mother felt couldn't be put into words. Grace was in absolute agony and Tadashi was worse for wear.

Tadashi wiped his eyes as he shook his head, rummaging around in the guitar case for his finger pick to play another song. This one had no words to it, but it was a very recognizable tune. Anyone who watched Pirates of the Caribbean would know it as it was the theme song.

"Okay...since when was Tadashi a musician? I wouldn't have pinned him for one..." Victor said as the trio were near him as he played.

"I never would have guessed either...but who cares, he's a beast," Trinity said with a grin.

"He is good, I'll admit that much. And while his vocals sound okay, he could use some training..." Clarice stated, feeling the need to be nit-picky just because she could.

Tadashi didn't even seem to notice they were watching him as the theme song continued. Whenever Tadashi was playing, he was always wrapped up in the song so that he heard nothing else but the music. He would know if people were around, but he would tune them out as he played. Tadashi soon finished and slowly leaned back against the tree.

"Well, that was certainly unexpected," Trinity piped up, causing Tadashi to sit forward quickly. He wasn't fully aware that they were watching him.

"You guys were listening?" Tadashi said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Yep, and I must say I'm impressed. Take note of this Tadashi, it's not often I say this about people..." Clarice said with a smirk.

"You mean like yesterday...when you said it about me?" Victor said deviously.

"You know what I meant!" Clarice growled.

"I think what they're trying to say Tadashi, is that you're really good. Clarice can sing, Victor can draw and you're a beast on the strings. What other songs can you play?" Trinity wondered.

"Wait, wait, wait...WAIT! How do you all know I can sing? I don't remember telling anyone that I-no...you all didn't..." Clarice said with a glare, causing the three of them to put their hands up defensively.

"It's not like people weren't able to hear you. When you hit those beautiful notes in that song I think you drew everyone's attention," Victor said with a nervous laugh.

"You mean to tell me...that you three were outside MY door, listening to that?!" Clarice fumed.

"Hey now, no need to get upset here...we were just admiring how beautiful you sounded. We didn't think you'd be upset if we found out..." Tadashi said defensively.

Clarice shot him a glare and then slowly breathed in, exhaling before softening up a little.

"You know, if you wanted to know a little more about me, you could have asked instead of hanging around my door..." Clarice said with a grimace.

"You hardly tell us much anyway, it was a rare opportunity, one we couldn't pass up if I might add," Victor stated with a grin.

"Victor's right. Your vocals are killer. You should sing more often..." Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"Really?" Clarice said, blinking at what she just heard.

"Oh please do! I loved that song you sang. It's actually a favorite of mine next to She Wolf!" Trinity exclaimed.

"I uh...um..." Clarice fumbled with her words, her face turning rather red due to embarrassment.

"It's alright if you don't want to, but if you ever do, we'd love to hear it," Tadashi said with a chuckle.

"Well, I suppose I can grace you all with my voice. But ONLY if you can play for me Tadashi. That talent shouldn't go to waste. As musicians it's our duty to keep it up," Clarice stated, catching Tadashi off guard a little.

Did she just ask him to play for her while she sang? This was venturing into uncharted territory and he wasn't sure what to expect. All he knew was that it could lead to some good things if he played his cards right. The two might actually come to understand one another through the music. It was something that they could relate to each other with which was good to start off with.

Trinity smirked as she watched the trio. For now, all was peaceful. None of them had a clue of the havoc she would soon bring upon them. There was one thing that was bothering her though. It was still the fact that she couldn't figure Victor out. Aside from what she already knew, he didn't seem to have many weaknesses to exploit. He was so chill it boggled her mind. What was up with this guy?

'I need more time to figure this out...Victor is a constant headache when it comes to solving him. He's like a 5000 piece jigsaw with a few missing pieces. It's impossible to figure him out. Normally I don't have this much difficulty...but I never expected to run into a problem of this magnitude. What makes you tick Victor?' Trinity thought as she laughed with the group, keeping up that facade she had been wearing.

'There is more to this group than meets the eye...but I'm learning more by the day. Nothing worth reporting to Celosia though. When I find something worth mentioning I'll give them the slip for a while and give her a call. But for now...I'll hold off on that. I have to keep them busy in the meantime. The next operation is about to be underway and if they get in the way, we're going to have a serious problem on our hands. I've got to find some way to keep them at bay for a little longer' Trinity thought as she leaned back and observed the trio.

'Wait a minute...of course. Victor has an art project he's been working on. Perhaps if we make it to Lumiose City after this he just might get wrapped up in that. And Tadashi and Clarice will be able to display their musical prowess there as well. All I need to do is direct them to the right places...this may cause a bit of a set back because of Team Flare heading to the Power Plant. To have access to the places they would need to go...I'd have to help them clear the plant. Arceus...why me?' Trinity thought as she rubbed her head.

"So, shall we get going? It'll be getting dark soon and we will need to set up camp. I can have Braixen start our fire for the night. We should find a place to stop real soon, but first let's cover a bit more ground," Tadashi said as he put away his guitar.

"Okay, we'll do that, under the condition that you play more songs around the campfire for us," Trinity chirped.

"That sounds like a great idea," Victor chimed in.

"I concur, now shall we get a move on? I'd rather not drag our stay in this place out much longer. We lost a lot of time back in Shalour City. We could have had our fourth badge by now and be on our way to our fifth. Those Team Flare knuckleheads really screwed us up..." Clarice muttered.

"Yeah, they are a bunch of party crashers aren't they?" Victor laughed.

"Well, the next time they pull a stunt like that, we'll be ready" Tadashi grinned.

The four of them nodded and started on their way. It wasn't before long that they had to stop and set up camp. It would take them a while to get to the next City, considering it was a long stretch. The group soon fell fast asleep in their sleeping bags, each thinking about what was to come and what had already been. For now, they slept soundly, but sooner or later Trinity would make her plans known.

_**And that does it for this chapter. It was a little something I had put together for Tadashi which I felt should be added to make him a little more relatable to us who read it. Throughout the story there will be more moments like this where we see parts of the character's past. With Victor being an artist and Clarice a vocalist, Tadashi had to have something right? I wonder what Trinity's secret is. And I'm not talking about her being part of Team Flare. Wanna know? Read and find out next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	17. Chapter 17

**Well good morning everyone! I want to say thank you to all who read and reviewed again. It means a lot when you all do. I'm super psyched about this fanfic and it's doing better than expected since it's my first one in the Pokemon section of this great site. With that said, how was the last chapter? Is everyone getting more of an idea of who everyone is? I hope so. There will be more chapters like this to come. With that being said, let's get down to it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo.**

**Chapter 17: Food for the Soul**

It was the crack of dawn when Trinity awoke. She yawned and stretched, running her hands through her silky, now tangled, locks as she roused herself from her slumber. Everyone else was still asleep, even Tadashi who was normally awake. She couldn't help but smile at the three near her. She had to admit, they weren't a bad bunch. But her duties came first. They were the enemy...and needed to be dealt with. She had to earn their trust first. That was the main thing. A sly smile crossed her lips as she looked over at her backpack. She had the perfect way to do this too.

She quietly rummaged through her pack and found her small personal cooking pot along with several utensils for preparing a meal. She also kept with her, a small personal cooler in which she carried bags of meat and various other things for meal preparations. Now, all she needed was a fire. Her eyes shifted over to where Tadashi was and saw that Braixen had popped out of her pokeball at some point in the night. A smile curved onto her lips as she glanced around for a twig to use. She remembered that Braixen always had one and decided that it would have to do.

She carefully removed the twig after gathering more wood for her fire after their other one went out. She stroked it against Braixen's tail and lit her fire.

'Worked like a charm...' Trinity thought as she put out the twig and placed it back in Braixen's tail. She knew what she needed next. Water, and she had the perfect way to get it. She sent out her Vaporeon and had her spit water into the pot. She stroked Vaporeon on the head before sending her back into her ball. She put set up her equipment over the fire and began to add the ingredients to the pot. Their juices would blend together to form a rather tasty broth for the stew she was cooking up.

Did she ever love to cook. It was one of the things she'd learned growing up that made her feel alive. She was a rather good chef. She helped her mother out at their family owned diner once in a while. Everyday she would walk in after being at daycare and her mother would be at the counter serving customers after working hard in the kitchen. Fond memories wafted back to her as she began to chop up some green onions to add to the stew.

It was a sunny day in Aquacorde Town. It was a small town, but no smaller than the fort that was Vanville which was connected to it. Not many lived there but it wasn't a problem. A great deal of people often came as tourists to the Kalos Region and others were trainers. Trinity grew up there and was always happy. Today was a special day for her as it was the one day of the week where her mother needed a little extra help in the kitchen. Her father wasn't seen much as he was always working late nights at the Pokeball Factory. Sometimes he'd get home very late and would be exhausted. But it paid the bills right?

Trinity had on a cute little black dress and wore a pink bow in her hair. She had on knee high white socks and wore small black dress shoes. In her hands was a small Absol plushie, considering she had one since it was an egg. Absol accompanied her everywhere she went. Trinity was taking great care of her Absol as her mother also worked as a breeder whenever she wasn't at the diner. She was taught a few tricks of the trade in both fields by her mother. Trinity was always brushing Absol and making its fur shine like the midnight moon.

She looked at the time and put down the brush she was using on her Absol and gave her a big hug.

"Alright Abby, it's time for me to get to work. Gonna help me get there?" Trinity inquired, getting a nod from her friend.

"Okay Abby, let's do it!" She called out, running outside with her faithful friend beside her.

Trinity hopped on Abby's back and the two raced off towards the Santalune Forest to Santalune City and then through it. One of the gardeners took notice of the chipper little girl and waved to her.

"Hi Mister Simmons! Can't stop and help now, I gotta get to mommy!" Trinity called out as she raced by on Abby.

"Don't hurt yourself Trinity," The old gardener called out as she disappeared into the station.

'That girl, so energetic. And such a hard worker...her mother must be proud to have her and her sister as daughters.

Trinity and Abby hurried down the streets of Lumiose at top speeds, rounding the corner to Restraunt Le Yeah. The two soon skidded to a stop and walked inside. Some of the customers that knew her smiled happily as the little one walked through the doors.

"Momma! I'm here!" Trinity called out, making her way past the diner tables to the counter where she could see her mother waiting.

"Trinity, my daring! I'm so glad you're here, your sister needs a little help in the kitchen. Make sure she doesn't drop anything, I have Jerald watching her for now, though he's not much help..." Trinity's mother said nervously.

"It's okay momma, Jerald is a silly head but he's a good man," Trinity said as she walked through the doors of the kitchen, putting an apron on over her dress and a hairnet for safety.

She found her little sister, Tiana, standing on a chair with an electric mixer in hand, mixing the batter while trying not to make a mess. It didn't help that she already had some of the batter on her face and apron though. Trinity giggled as she walked over to her sister and ruffled her hair.

"You little silly, you're all messy," Trinity said with a snicker.

"Sissy!" Tiana greeted happily, moving to hug her sister, but nearly fell off the chair.

Trinity caught Tiana, and helped her back up, getting a little batter on her face. The two laughed at this and then got back to work. Trinity washed her hands before putting on gloves and helped her sister mix the batter for the pancakes and waffles. The two continued to shell out the food the customers ordered for several hours until it was time for them to go home. It was closing time for the diner and everyone was finishing cleanup duty, even the girls.

Trinity's mother Melody walked into the kitchen to find it cleaned up rather nicely. She smiled softly and patted her two girls on the head for a job well done.

"Great job you two, you get better at this every day," Melody beamed happily, glad to know she had such hard workers.

"Thank you mommy!" The two said in unison, hugging their mother tightly.

Melody smiled softly as she held her girls. They were just the light of her life. She couldn't imagine her world without either one of them. It was a sad day when little Tiana became ill at eleven years old. The doctors had no idea of what the cause of the illness was. It wasn't until a man who looked as though he were balding, save for a few orange streaks of hair and one that stuck up like a small flame, walked through the doors.

The doctors looked confused at this since nobody else was allowed inside the room, save for friends and family. So how did he get in? The man claimed to be a scientist and a disease expert and had heard of a little girl who was in great need of help. The doctors were a bit suspicious of the man but decided to let it go for the time being. The man took a look at Tiana and saw that she was rather pale.

"Has she always been this light skinned?" The man asked, glancing over her, his orange glasses concealing the expression in his eyes.

"No...she's more tan than this...we don't know what it could be," Melody said to the man who simply nodded and looked her over.

"I see...well I can tell you that it's not anemia...that would be treatable. No, this is something a little more severe. Though what it could be I am not sure of. But...I do know that there is a way to cure her of this disease indefinitely," the man said with a smirk on his face.

"And what might that be? Because as far as we're concerned, we have no way to cure it," one of the doctor's inquired, getting a neutral look from the man.

At that point, several other suited men came through the door wearing red and had Houdour out and ready.

The doctors were alarmed at this action and backed up in fear.

The man turned to the girl in question and then to her sister, Trinity. A smirk came over his visage as he saw that she had a pokeball with her.

"You must be a trainer, how fortunate am I?" The man grinned, motioning to his men to converge on her.

"Abby, come out!" Trinity shouted, tossing Abby out of her pokeball. The dark Pokemon growled as she came out of her ball, lowering herself into a combat position and awaited her friend's orders.

The Houndours all used ember in unison.

"Psycho cut!" Trinity called out powerfully.

Abby's horn charged up and she gave a howl, whipping her head back and then forwards again to send a powerful wave of energy towards the flames, dissipating them. The attack didn't affect the Houndour due to its dual typing but that wasn't going to slow Trinity down.

"Take them down with foul play and play rough!" Trinity commanded.

'So that Absol knows a fairy type move...she must have gotten it straight from an egg...which means it is a very powerful Pokemon indeed. She must have trained it on a daily basis. Such raw power...such strength...' the man thought as he watched how fast Abby took down the Houndour that were in the room.

'She's the perfect subject...and would be a great addition to the Inferno Branch...I'll need to persuade her to my side. And I have just the way to do it, thanks to her sick sister...' he grinned.

The man clapped his hands, applauding Trinity's performance. He then lowered his hands and glanced at the family of four before him.

"Your daughter is quite the trainer, I was not expecting this outcome. She has saved you all from certain death...though the same could not be said for the ones outside. Now...let's get down to business shall we?" The man said, snapping his fingers for his guards to move in. They quickly immobilized Trinity's parents leaving Trinity free to roam.

"Mom, Dad!" She cried out, looking back as the men in suits punched them in the gut.

"Listen up trainer...you are very skilled and I like that. Your parents seemed to have raised you well and that is superb. I'm willing to make you a deal that will save your sister and your parents. If you accept this deal you will be well taken care of...should you deny it however...I will burn this place to the ground with you in it. I have several other members of my team outside just waiting to torch the place. The lives of anyone else alive all depend on you. So...what do you say? Will you join us and be a top agent in Team Flare's Inferno Branch?" The man inquired, prepared to give the signal, should she say no.

Trinity's body was shaking. She wanted to order Abby to kill this man for what he was doing, but the man had the advantage. He had her parents, and somehow, a way to save her sister. She had no choice in the matter. She was going to have to agree. She bowed her head and returned Abby to her pokeball.

"I'll...I'll do it..." Trinity stated tearfully. She hated herself for saying it but she knew she had to do it.

The man looked at his comrades and nodded, prompting them to release her parents.

"Good, you will come with me immediately. We will be taking your sister to our lab to run some tests for her. You will obey our orders and those of our leader without question. Should you refuse to do what you are instructed to do by your superiors for any reason will result in the death of those you hold dear..." The man said with a stoic gaze.

Trinity gritted her teeth at the man. She wanted to rip him apart bit by bit, but she wasn't going to run the risk of losing her family. She couldn't, it would be unforgivable.

From that day on, Trinity was a member of Team Flare's illustrious Inferno Branch. They were a deadlier group of assassins than that of Team Flare's main branch. They all were expertly trained and very acrobatic. They were skilled combatants hand to hand as well as with Pokemon. And Trinity was the cream of the crop.

Trinity's memory came to an end and she shook it off, not really wanting to think of it at that moment. She sighed as she glanced down at the pot. The meat was cooked nicely, and so were the vegetables in the stew as well. The scent wafted into the noses of the three who had yet to wake. They soon stirred from their slumber and sleepily yawned.

Clarice's senses were bombarded by the most intoxicating scent she'd ever had the pleasure of sniffing. Her eyes widened and she glanced over to where it was coming from only to see Trinity over a pot of stew, cooking and humming to herself.

"Hey, what smells good?" Victor said groggily as he looked over at Clarice. His eyes shifted over towards the smell of the cooking food. Victor's eyes went wide as he saw where it was coming from.

Tadashi was even roused by the scent of it. His Braixen woke up and yawned, her nose catching the scent of something divine. She wandered over to the pot and looked inside, tilting her head curiously at the dish that was being made.

"None for you silly, but I do have a small batch of Pokemon food that my mom made, I'll let you have some if you like," Trinity said as she reached into her bag to take out some of the food to give to her. Braixen took it and popped it in her mouth. After a moment of chewing she swallowed and yipped happily.

"You like it! Yay!" Trinity cheered, giving her more while she tended to the pot.

"When did you wake up, Trinity?" Tadashi asked, rubbing his head as he watched her cook.

"A while ago, I couldn't sleep so I decided to cook us a meal. I figured since we aren't exactly close to the city right now, we should fill our bellies before we get going," Trinity said as she took a few bowls from her bag and handed them to everyone.

"I must say Trinity, this is rather nice of you. I might just change my opinion of you if this tastes as good as it smells," Clarice said with a smirk.

"I'd like that actually, it'd be a nice change of pace from your snarky attitude," Trinity teased.

Clarice blinked at this statement and then huffed, crossing her arms in the process.

"Okay everyone, dig in!" She said as she poured everyone a portion of the stew.

Everyone began to dive into the delightful stew. Almost in unison, Clarice, Tadashi, and Victor's eyes grew wide in amazement at the flavor.

"I think I'm in heaven..." Clarice said as she took another mouthful.

"I think I'm in love..." Victor said with a dreamy smile, taking another bite, only to get elbowed by Clarice.

"Relax there Romeo..." Tadashi laughed, taking another bite of the stew.

"My compliments, this is really delicious!" Tadashi said as he continued to eat.

"Thanks, I aim to please," Trinity said with a smirk.

About ten minutes passed and the group was all lying on their backs holding their stomachs.

"That, was fantastic. I can't remember the last time I had anything that good," Clarice said with a satisfied sigh.

"Well, it's not my mother's cooking, but it sure can give hers a run for her money," Tadashi said nervously, getting a slight smile from Trinity.

"Are you kidding? This was amazing, I'm so full I think I'm gonna pop..." Victor moaned, patting his stomach after the amount he'd eaten.

"Well, anytime you want a meal like that, we'll need to get more food items for my cooler. Other than that, I'd be happy to make more meals for us to enjoy," Trinity stated with a wink.

She glanced over at Tadashi and flashed a smile before standing up.

"Well, I think we ought to clean up and start heading out. We've got a long trekk ahead of us and a lot to accomplish," Trinity said with a soft smile.

"I agree, let's clean up and get going. After all, we've got some badges to win, and I want to get a good battle in sooner or later," Tadashi said with a smirk.

"Well, if you want you can always battle me, I'd be happy to go a round with you at some point. It'd be fun," Trinity said, beaming as she spoke.

"That does sound like fun, perhaps I'll take you up on that offer soon," Tadashi said with a grin.

"Good, then it's settled. We'll do it after your gym battle. Can't have you getting worn out before it now can we?" Trinity smirked.

"No, we most certainly cannot," Tadashi said with a grin.

"Well, if you two are done talking, I'd like to get this show on the road," Clarice said, her eyebrow twitching in irritation.

"Right, let's clean up and get going," Tadashi said, sweat-dropping at Clarice's annoyed expression.

"She was certainly impatient wasn't she?" Trinity remarked.

"You don't know the half of it..." Victor grumbled, getting a glare from Clarice.

A grin came over Trinity's shoulders as she watched the group for a while.

'That was a success, they loved my cooking and are starting to trust me a little more. I'm still unsure of how to approach the problem that is Victor. I've already figured out Tadashi's little quirks and Clarice is still too easy to fluster. I've stepped up my game and soon I'll have them all figured out. I'll report this to Celosia later...I know she'll enjoy hearing that I have them trusting me more. Still, I can't help but feel something's off...I'm not sure what that is though...' Trinity thought as she finished putting her stuff away.

Tadashi and the rest of them packed up their sleeping bags and supplies. Tadashi returned Braixen to her ball and the four of them began to make their way towards Coumarine City. But what lies ahead for them? Only time will tell.

_**There it is folks! Another chapter on one of the four. So, what did you think? Did I shed enough light on Trinity for you to understand her a little better? Some of you might be a fan of her or just like how she's designed so I revealed her background and motive for doing what she does. Her plans for the trio are slowly going to unfold, but when? The only way to find out is to continue reading! Next time on The Flames of Revolution**_!


	18. Chapter 18

**It's about that time folks! That's right, another exciting installment of The Flames of Revolution! Woot! But before I get to that, what did you think of the last chapter? I hope it was enjoyable. The group is closing in on Coumarine City. Let's see what happens next! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 18: The Strength of Victor**

It was mid-afternoon and the gang stopped to take a break from all the walking that was done. It was going to take a while for them all to get to Coumarine City, and even then they had to make it to the other side of a body of water. It appeared as though Tadashi was the only one without a water type that could help him out in that situation.

Tadashi sat down with his guitar for a while while Victor got out his sketch pad to draw his surroundings. Tadashi glanced his way for a moment. It had just occurred to him that he hadn't really seen Victor fight yet. He was curious as to just how strong Victor really was. He knew Victor was good, because he helped Tadashi train Kirlia, albeit Braixen ended up battling in her place. But just how good was he? It was bugging Tadashi quite a bit.

Setting his guitar back in its case, he decided to find out for himself. It had been a while since any of them had a battle and he wanted to train. The group had stocked up on supplies before they left so it should be alright to go at it.

"Hey Victor," Tadashi began, walking over to his friend who was busy sketching.

"What's up Tadashi?" Victor said, looking up at Tadashi, who had a serious expression on his face.

"What do you say to a battle? I'm itchin' to train and I haven't seen you fight yet," Tadashi stated with a smirk.

A grin crossed Victor's features as he stood up. Excitment was clearly seen on his face.

"I thought you'd never ask Tadashi. I was beginning to wonder when you would want to fight me," Victor smirked.

The two boys stood across from one another, Trinity and Clarice watching as the two were about to face off.

"I'll ref, if that's alright with you two," Trinity said as she stood between them.

Tadashi and Victor nodded and reached for their first Pokemon.

"This will be a six on six battle between Tadashi and Victor! Let's make it a good clean fight shall we?!" Trinity announced, getting a nod from both trainers.

"Kirlia let's go!" Tadashi commanded, firing the pokeball from is grip onto the battlefield.

Kirlia danced out onto the field and curtsied before standing on her toes.

"Kadabra, let's get down to business!" Victor shouted, releasing Kadabra from its tiny home.

Kadabra immerged onto the field before the dancer, his eyes staring her down, studying her as if devising a winning strategy before his owner even thought of one. Kirlia stared back at Kadabra with a determined gaze of her own. Both of them were thinking of ways to get the edge before a single command resounded from the lips of Victor which started their combat.

"Kadabra, use shadow ball!" Victor commanded.

Kadabra closed his eyes in concentration as he gathered ghostly energies in front of it. He soon loosed the orb towards Kirlia with great force and precision.

"Kirlia, evade it and use disarming voice!" Tadashi countered.

Kirlia pirouetted out of the way and opened her mouth to blast Kadabra with a penetrating and damaging sound. The waves of sound caused Kadabra to clasp his hands to his head and wince in pain.

"Snap out of it and use psychic!" Victor commanded.

Kadabra soon regained his composure and stared at the tricky dancer. His eyes glowed blue and an aura soon surrounded Kirlia who was lifted off the ground by the unseen force. She was then slammed repeatedly into the ground by Kadabra and then sent flying across the grass.

"Kirlia, hang in there!" Tadashi called out.

Kirlia heard the call of her owner and slowly stood up, panting as she tried to straighten up. Her opponent was definitely strong. His psychic attack was well refined and it seemed as though Victor trained him well. But Kirlia wasn't about to let herself be tossed around like that again.

"Kadabra, use psybeam!" Victor called out.

Kadabra held out his spoon and channeled psychic energies into its tip. The energy crackled with great intensity before exploding from the spoon, causing the grass to part in its wake.

"Kirlia, use double team to avoid it and then use disarming voice!" Tadashi countered.

Kirlia watched as the attack came barreling towards her, not moving until the last second when it was about to connect. She multiplied herself at an accelerated rate, causing the attack to miss and take out a few copies.

She soon appeared beside Kadabra, catching him off guard by releasing a powerful shout, causing Kadabra to hold his head in pain again.

"Kadabra, use shadow ball!" Victor commanded.

Kadabra turned towards Kirlia and gathered the ghostly energies once again and fired it directly at her. The attack collided with great force, sending her flying across the grass, knocking her out.

"Kirlia is unable to battle! Kadabra wins!" Trinity declared, causing Tadashi to return Kirlia.

"It's okay, you did your best..." Tadashi said with a smile.

"Your Kadabra is strong, but he's goin' down!" Tadashi said as he picked his next Pokemon.

"I'd love to see that, bring it on Tadashi!" Victor said as he awaited Tadashi's next Pokemon.

"Well, now you're gonna. Lucario, you're up!" Tadashi called out, sending out the bipedal dog.

"Ready for this Lucario?" Tadashi asked curiously.

'Of course...' Lucario said with a smirk.

'Bone rush,' Tadashi commanded.

Lucario formed a bone staff in his hands and rushed towards Kadabra with great speed, converging upon him quickly before he had time to move. Lucario slammed the staff into Kadabra's stomach heavily, sending the psychic type flying. Kadabra was already injured from the battle with Kirlia and struggled to stand firm.

'Bone rush to end it...' Tadashi commanded telepathically.

Lucario obeyed and dashed along the ground towards the weakened Kadabra, slamming the bone staff into Kadabra's ribcage, knocking it to the ground unconcious.

"Kadabra is unable to battle! Lucario wins!" Trinity declared, watching as Victor returned Kadabra to his Pokeball.

"Medicham let's go!" Victor called out, sending out his next Pokemon.

Medicham appeared on the field immediately taking a battle stance of his own. His eyes fixated upon his worthy opponent, know that this would be quite a battle to witness. He awaited his owner's command.

"Medicham, use Meditate!" Victor commanded.

Medicham slapped his palms together and filled his body with power from meditation. A violet aura surrounded his frame as he continued to draw in power.

'Bone rush...' Tadashi called out.

Lucario charged in at full force, aiming to knock Medicham away with devastating force.

"Evade and use force palm!" Victor shouted.

Lucario rushed in, aiming to strike but missed by mere inches. Medicham brought his palm harshly against Lucario's chest, sending the dog-like Pokemon flying back from the super-effective attack.

Lucario slowly started to get up but something gold sparked around him. He had been paralyzed. This was not good.

"End this with High Jump Kick!" Victor commanded.

Medicham leapt high into the air, reaching astounding heights before plunging downwards, aiming his foot directly for the helpless Lucario. Medicham's foot connected with brutal force, creating an explosion from the force. When the dust settled, a small crater could be seen with Lucario knocked out inside it.

"Lucario is unable to battle, Medicham wins!" Trinity stated.

"That was rough..." Tadashi said as he recalled Lucario.

"And it's only gonna get rougher for you Tadashi!" Victor called to him, a relaxed expression on his visage.

'He's so calm...it's just like he is even when he's not in battle. Relaxed...composed...care free at that. This is going to be a tough fight' Tadashi thoughat as he reached for his next Pokemon.

"Charmeleon, you're up!" Tadashi cried out as he sent out the bipedal lizard. Charmeleon roared and shot flames from his mouth out of excitement. He was once again facing a strong opponent. This was what he lived for, this thrill right here. Charmeleon glanced over at Medicham who met his eyes with a confident gaze. The two simply stared at each other for the longest time before Charmeleon decided to taunt Medicham by beckoning him to attack.

"Charmeleon, use flame burst!" Tadashi called out.

Charmeleon roared and powered up the blue and white flames in his mouth. Once again, due to the excitement of facing a strong opponent, his flames changed colors. Charmeleon shot a powerful flame burst towards Medicham who made no move to evade.

"Use force palm on the flames to cancel them out!" Victor fired back, causing Tadashi's eyes to go wide.

Medicham shot his hand out swiftly and extinguished the flames with one hand. Due to the force of the counter, and the energy output, Medicham's hand was okay. Medicham lowered his hand and smirked at Charmeleon who narrowed his eyes in determination.

"Use Meditate again!" Victor called out.

'He's leaving himself open...now's my chance...' Tadashi thought as he looked at Medicham who began drawing in more power.

"Charmeleon use dragon rage!" Tadashi commanded.

Charmeleon threw his head back and sent for a burst of draconic energy. At that moment, Medicham's eyes opened as the attack neared him.

"Dodge and rush in with force palm!" Victor called out.

Medicham quickly avoided the oncoming blast, narrowly, and ran in towards Charmeleon, palm outstretched. The palm made the connection with critical force.

"Charmeleon, grab hold and use fire fang!" Tadashi countered.

Charmeleon snarled from the pain it was in but managed to take hold of Medicham's arm as the secondary part of force palm took place, damaging him further. Charmeleon soon bit down on Medicham and engulfed his arm in flames.

"Medicham, hang in there and use zen headbutt!" Victor commanded.

Though Medicham was being damaged by the burn status inflicted on him, he managed to rear his head back and channel psychic energies into it before ramming his head hard into Charmeleon, causing the lizard to release his grip and land on the ground. Charmeleon was down for the count.

"Charmeleon is unable to battle! Medicham wins!" Trinity declared.

Medicham was panting due to the burns it had received from Charmeleon's attack. The pain was excruciating but he would bare it for the remainder of the fight. He wouldn't go down easily.

"Charmeleon, return!" Tadashi said as he brought his companion back to his ball.

'Man, Victor's good...I mean I already knew he had to be, but this is just difficult. It looks like I was right in saying he was as good if not better than Clarice...' Tadashi thought, wiping the sweat the was trickling down his face.

'Looks like I'm gonna have to step my game up if I want to win...and that Medicham is in my way...' Tadashi thought as he grabbed Braixen's pokeball.

"Braixen, let's do it girl!" Tadashi shouted as he threw her onto the field.

Braixen appeared on the field and took the stick out of her tail, spinning it around before brandishing it before her, pointing at Medicham as a declaration of challenge.

Medicham dawned a serious expression and lowered himself into a combative position once more.

"Medicham, force palm!" Victor called out.

Medicham surged forward, extending his palm with lethal intent. He would not be denied victory. Even though the burns were whittling him down he would fight until he had no strength left.

"Braixen, dodge with flame charge and hit him with an ember!" Tadashi countered.

Braixen's body lit itself ablaze, burning the grass to cinders beneath her feet as she dashed away from Medicham's oncoming palm. She lit her stick and shot a burst of flames towards Medicham who had no time to dodge due to his already being in motion. The flames connected and sent him skidding back, struggling to keep balance.

"End it with another flame charge!" Tadashi called out to Braixen.

With increased speed, she charged Medicham and rammed her flaming body into his, knocking him away, causing him to skid across the grass until he came to a stop. Medicham tried to sit up, his arms struggled to push itself to a standing position but by the time he managed to get to his feet, his legs gave way and he passed out.

"Medicham is unable to battle! Braixen is the winner!" Trinity declared.

"Good job Medicham, you deserve to rest," Victor said as he returned Medicham to his pokeball.

'That was only his second Pokemon...and I'm on my fourth...he must have done some serious training...' Tadashi thought as he waited for Victor to send out his next Pokemon.

'Hmmm...Victor is a little too strong. And to think he started out at around the same time these two did. He seems so chill...unphased...what the hell is up with this guy!' Trinity thought, trying to wrap her mind around him. She was beginning to come to the conclusion that the real threat was in Victor and not Tadashi.

"Crawdaunt, go to it!" Victor shouted, smirking as his newly evolved Pokemon immerged onto the field.

"When did you-!" Tadashi began, a nervous expression on his features.

"Yeah, so remember that battle with Team Flare a while back...yeah, it happened," Victor chuckled.

'This isn't good...if it were still a Corphish I MIGHT be able to handle it...but this, this is going to be a challenge...' Tadashi thought as he looked at Braixen.

'I can out-speed him due to Braixen having a few boosts from flame charge. But I don't know what else Crawdaunt is capable of...I'd better watch it...' Tadashi said as he stared at the gigantic crawfish before him.

"Use aqua jet!" Victor called out, catching Tadashi off guard.

Before Tadashi knew it, Crawdaunt shot forward, streams of water bursting from its backside as it connected a solid super effective strike against Braixen. Braixen got up from the attack rather slowly and stared defiantly at Crawdaunt.

"Braixen, use flame charge!" Tadashi shouted.

Braixen shot forward with blinding speed, aiming to pay Crawdaunt back for its earlier transgression.

"Aqua jet and crab hammer!" Victor countered.

Crawdaunt raced forward once more and connected with Braixen who was no match for the raw power the large crawfish possessed. It's claw soon took in aquatic energies and hammered down upon Braixen's head, knocking it out.

"Braixen is unable to battle! Crawdaunt wins!" Trinity shouted.

'This is crazy...' Tadashi thought as he withdrew Braixen and reached for Tyrunt's pokeball.

"Tyrunt, let's go!" Tadashi called out.

Tyrunt immerged onto the field, stomping his feet in a momentary tantrum to pump himself up for the fight. If Tadashi had to guess what it was saying, it would probably be something to the effect of; 'I am Tyrunt! Here me roar!' Or 'It's feeding time!' Either way, it probably had to do with biting.

Tyrunt stared up at his foe with a battle hungry expression on his face. All he saw in front of him was a cooked fish ready to be served on a plate in front of him. He'd eat the plate too of course.

"Tyrunt, use ancient power!" Tadashi called out to his hungry little friend. He

Tyrunt stamped his feet wildly on the ground, kicking up rocks as a crimson aura surrounded him and the rocks. They all raced towards Crawdaunt who remained composed. Tadashi was hoping for the power up effect. No dice.

"Crawdaunt, dodge and use aqua jet!" Victor commanded.

Crawdaunt raced forward at incredible speeds, slamming into Tyrunt and knocking him back. Tadashi knew at this point he was in even more trouble than before. Not only was Crawdaunt a water/dark type, his remaining Pokemon was a ground type. And since Crawdaunt had aqua jet, he would be outsped. He had to think of a way out of this.

Tyrunt slowly got up and snarled defiantly at Crawdaunt who simply snapped his pincers at Tyrunt. The little dino pointed an accusing claw at Crawdaunt and stomped its feet in a tantrum. This just wasn't his day.

"Tyrunt, use rock tomb and then close in with bite!" Tadashi commanded.

Tyrunt once again kicked rocks into the air and then raced off behind the rocks hoping that they would lock Crawdaunt down.

"Dodge the rocks and use aqua jet!" Victor countered.

Crawdaunt powered up and burst forward, evading the rocks that were heading his way and knocked into Tyrunt again.

"Bite down and don't let go!" Tadashi commanded.

Tyrunt did as he was told as he was about to be flung back, and bit down hard on the crawfish's claw, causing it to swing Tyrunt around violently.

'Once Tyrunt has his grip locked...he doesn't let go. I got too carless with that attack, no matter...this is where he's finished,' Victor thought.

"Crawdaunt, finish it with crab hammer!" Victor called out.

Crawdaunt momentarily regained his composure and powered up a powerful crab hammer and slammed it down hard onto Tyrunt, knocking it out. His jaws loosed and he fell over.

Crawdaunt panted as it recomposed himself from the sudden bite. Due to the strong jaw ability, Tyrunt's bite is stronger than any other pokemon that do not have the same ability. In fact, there was no other Pokemon that had it, save for Sharpedo when it Mega Evolved. Other than that, he was the only one that had it. The damage to Crawdaunt was more than expected since Crawdaunt was part dark and it was a dark type move. But the added bonus was more than enough to make his claw sore.

"Tyrunt is unable to battle! Crawdaunt wins!" Trinity called out again.

Tadashi recalled Tyrunt to his pokeball and sighed. He was down to his last teammate. Cubone. This was where he had another disadvantage. But he couldn't let himself get too down about it. He needed to at least take out Victor's Crawdaunt. He was determined to do it, right here and now.

"Cubone, it's all you buddy!" Tadashi shouted, summoning Cubone to the field. This was it. All or nothing for Tadashi.

The bone wielding Pokemon came out and twirled its bone around like a baton before pointing it at Crawdaunt. The giant crawfish simply narrowed his eyes at Cubone and opened its pincers in a threatening manner.

"Cubone, use bonemerang!" Tadashi commanded.

Cubone brought his bone back and fired it towards Crawdaunt. The bone spun sideways towards the large crawfish who still made no move to evade.

"Dodge it and use aqua jet" Victor cried out.

"Wait for him to get close, then use bone club!"

The bone missed its target and came sailing back towards Cubone who caught it. His eyes widened when he saw how fast Crawdaunt had closed in on him. He swung his club back but was unable to counter the blow as it struck him hard. Cubone was sent into the dirt from the heavy blow. Cubone got up struggling and faced Crawdaunt with an angry expression. If Tadshi didn't know any better, Cubone may have shouted some obscenities at Crawdaunt who recoiled from whatever Cubone had said. Suddenly, Cubone began to glow a bright white signaling that it was time for it to ascend.

The light soon died down and Marowak stood where Cubone once was. Tadashi was glad that it evolved because now Marowak was a more viable challenge for Crawdaunt, albeit Crawdaunt still had the advantage.

"So it finally happened for Cubone. Nice, let's see what he can do. Bring it on Tadashi!" Victor challenged.

"Consider it brought!" Tadashi called back, his eyes fixed on Crawdaunt with intent to defeat it.

"Crawdaunt, charge in with aqua jet!" Victor called out.

"Concentrate on Crawdaunt and then use thrash!" Tadashi ordered.

Crawdaunt raced forwards with intense speed, aiming to mow Marowak over with brute force. Marowak however, remained undeterred and allowed him to get closer before unleashing a rampaging thrash attack, knocking the stuffing out of Crawdaunt. The crab had to be exhausted at this point due to the battles it had just faced and that was beginning to show.

Both Crawdaunt and Marowak were exhausted. They both were breathing heavily and neither of them had much stamina left. Tadashi wanted to take out Crawdaunt no matter what the cost. However, he knew Marowak was too heavily damaged after taking a super effective strike. He wasn't sure how long it would continue. It was all or nothing on this last attack.

"Go for it Marowak! Use thrash!" Tadashi ordered.

"Aqua jet!" Victor countered.

Both Pokemon surged towards one another, their goals clear. Knock the other one out. bone collided with pincer as the two met and sent them both flying backwards. For a moment it was a tough call. Both Pokemon slowly got up from the attack. Crawdaunt stood defiantly and stared at Marowak who was struggling to keep his balance. Having no more strength left, Marowak collapsed.

"Marowak is unable to battle! Crawdaunt wins! The match goes to Victor!" Trinity declared.

Tadashi sighed softly as he returned Marowak to his pokeball. Victor returned Crawdaunt to his and walked over to Tadashi with a smile.

"That was a fun battle. I was a little worried there when your Marowak evolved," Victor laughed.

"Yeah, but I still knew he had the disadvantage...but that wasn't going to stop me from trying," Tadashi said with a smirk.

"I was a little worried that Medicham might take the rest of your team out. But that Braixen of yours is pretty darn strong. Great job on raising it," Victor praised.

"Yeah, but what the heck man? You're tough as nails!" Tadashi grumbled.

"Well, I did do some training before I ran into you two...er three now that is. Regardless, I know you'll improve with time. You are getting much stronger. Your Marowak appearing proved that much. Now all that's left to do is evolve the little chomper...that may take some time though," Victor snickered.

"Yeah...I wonder what happens when he evolves. He's already pretty powerful as is...and Grants was just not normal," Tadashi mumbled.

"Yeah...his annoyed me, but I know yours will get a lot stronger so don't worry about it," Victor smirked.

"That was a great battle you two, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time...if I was sitting down that is..." Trinity uttered, scratching her head nervously.

"I agree, that was a splendid performance. Great work Victor...and Tadashi?" Clarice said sternly, making Tadashi wonder what was to come next.

"How DARE you lose after defeating me! Do you realise how this makes me look? It was enough that I was second to you after that bout but now I'm third compared to Victor?! What's the deal?!" Clarice snarled.

"Hey, calm down Clarice, it was my first time battling him, next time will be different, and that's a promise..." Tadashi said, turning back to Victor and giving him a thumbs up.

"I look forward to that rematch. Why don't we all have a battle royal when all of this is over before the Kalos League? You know you want to," Victor grinned.

"If it's to tear you from your throne and reclaim it for myself, then I accept!" Clarice said, visibly flustered.

Trinity simply laughed at the trio's antics. On the outside she seemed joyful. But on the inside, she was worrying. Yes, now she was a little worried.

'I had suspected that Victor was strong...but this is beyond what I thought. The worst part is...I don't know the rest of his team. There are two unknown Pokemon in his party that I have yet to lay eyes on...I already know about the Quilladin that didn't show up. What makes me nervous is that only two of his team were taken down. That Kadabra, and my Arceus that Medicham...and the Crawdaunt...he's a threat and I need to inform Celosia of this, but I can't do it now...' Trinity thought as she sighed to herself.

"Well you three, shall we continue on to Coumarine? We've got some time before night fall hits us so I'd like to be able to get a room in one of the centers. Camping out is fun and all, but my body longs for a warm bed," Trinity giggled.

"I agree, I think I slept on a rock last night, it was so uncomfortable..." Clarice whined.

"I slept fine, I don't know what you're complaining about Clarice," Tadashi said with a shrug.

"Well, you try having a pointy rock poking your side for half the night and see how it feels!" Clarice growled.

"Children, children, calm down," Victor said with a sigh.

Both Tadashi and Clarice shot him a look which caused him to nervously back away.

"Those two really need to get a room don't they?" Trinity said quietly to Victor.

"I've thought the same thing for a long time...glad we're on the same page..." Victor said with a grin.

"Don't get used to it..." Trinity grumbled.

The four of them soon were on their way to Coumarine City where they healed up their Pokemon. They made it in very late in the evening. Tadashi sat in his room and as usual released all of his Pokemon from their pokeballs so they could all sleep near one another.

"I'm proud of you guys...even though we didn't win, you all did great," Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"Especially you Marowak, you finally evolved. That makes me really happy," Tadashi said with a smile.

"Maro...wak..." Marowak stated as he lowered his head.

"What's wrong? You did your best, don't be so hard on yourself," Tadashi said reassuringly.

Marowak spoke up once again, making Tadashi raise his brow. The only Pokemon he could communicate with thus far was Lucario.

'He said he's sorry he failed, and that he'll do better next time,' Lucario translated.

'I see, well he shouldn't have to worry about that. We'll just train him to be stronger so that he is able to win. And even if he doesn't, he still gave it his all,' Tadashi replied.

"Don't worry, Marowak. Next time we face off against Victor, we will win!" Tadashi said with a smirk.

Marowak nodded and then hopped down beside Lucario. Tyrunt took his previous spot and fell right to sleep.

Tadashi slowly fell asleep as well, after all, it was an exhausting battle. It's not just the Pokemon that get worn out, but the minds of the trainers as well as their bodies. The Pokemon do all the damage for the trainers as if they were a stand in for the trainers themselves. Tadashi would challenge Victor again one day, but for now he had a gym badge to earn.

Trinity was in her room talking to Celosia who was also about to go to bed.

"What's up Trinity? I hope you come baring good tidings..." Celosia said as she glanced up at Trinity who had a serious look on her face.

"It turns out that Tadashi isn't as much of a threat as I anticipated...even though he has a Mega now...Victor is the one we should be concerned about," Trinity stated, much to Celosia's surprise.

"The boy with the Kadabra? Hmm...I wouldn't have pegged him for a threat. Let me guess...he and Tadashi got into a battle and Tadashi lost right?" Celosia deduced.

"Yep...badly..." Trinity remarked.

"How badly are we talking, was it a close call or was it a shut out?" Celosia inquired.

"The battle was completely one-sided. Victor had control the entire time. Only two of his Pokemon were knocked out while all six of Tadashi's went down for the count," Trinity stated with a stern expression.

"I...I see...it looks like Tadashi keeps good company, strong company actually. This could pose a problem for us. It's enough that Tadashi and Clarice have Mega Evolution, but we don't even know the half of whatever Victor has up his sleeve...keep an eye on him. I expect a full report on anything you find out. In the meantime I will alert the other scientists to be on guard should they encounter the group, especially Victor..." Celosia said with a frown.

"Sounds good...I'll do my best. He's not exactly easy to figure out...and after seeing how tough he is, things just got a little harder," Trinity stated firmly.

"Well, you'll just have to get more aggressive now won't you? Figure out what makes him tick, he has to have a weakness. All men do..." Celosia said with a smirk.

"I know...and when I find it I'll aim for it. Good night Celosia," Trinity said as she closed the session.

"Good night Trinity..." Celosia said as she winked out.

_**Annnnd scene! The battle was intense but Victor proved to be too much for Tadashi. It seems that both of his companions have incredible skill. Even though he managed to defeat Clarice once, she won't take it lying down. Trinity is getting very worried over Victor now. Celosia has been informed and things are heating up! The group is in Coumarine City and a gym battle is inevitable. Next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	19. Chapter 19

**Good evening to everyone! Or morning...depending on your timezone. How did you enjoy the battle last chapter? I couldn't resist that fight as I know at least one of you was curious as to how good Victor was. You know who you are. Anyway, the laid back artist is quite the battler as you've all just witnessed. Now the only question is, how good is Trinity? Hints have been given and more are to come. Now it's time to get to it! I hope your strapped in because it's time to battle! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 19: A Force of Nature**

It was mid-morning in Coumarine City. Tadashi was asleep like a rock just like he used to be before he set off on his journey. His holo caster began to go off which, surprisingly, woke him up. He didn't have to suffer being thrown off the bed by Kirlia like he had before. He wondered who it could have been that was contacting him. He blinked as he pressed the button on the holo caster to see that Looker was staring back at him.

"Tadashi, glad to see you're alive," Looker said with a stern, hard boiled expression.

"Looker...yeah, I am. So I take it you heard about what happened on route 12?" Tadashi deduced, getting an affirmative nod from Looker.

"You are correct...I must say you are rather reckless Tadashi. When I asked that you help me shut them down, I didn't mean run headlong into a battle of that magnitude. You could have been killed," Looker grunted.

"Well, I wasn't was I? I had Victor, Clarice and Trinity backing me up. We were fine," Tadashi said with a smirk.

"That may be, but you still don't know everything you're up against. According to what I know, that Admin you took down wasn't even the tip of the iceberg. You barely scratched the surface of what Team Flare is capable of. Some of the thing's they've done are unthinkable. What you saw was minor compared to the havoc they can wreak," Looker said with a stern gaze.

"Well, we'll try to be more careful then, if it helps you sleep better at night. Don't worry, like I said. It's not like we're going looking for them...we seem to just...run into them," Tadashi said with a sigh.

"Very well then, now...from what my sources tell me, after you defeated Tyson, I assume that was the name of the Admin if I remember correctly...he was disciplined. The other Admin's are stronger still and I don't want to get into the scientists...' Looker explained.

"Looker...how come you don't join the fight with your own Pokemon?" Tadashi inquired, wondering why he was asking a bunch of teenagers to join the fight when he could be charging into battle himself.

"That is not up for discussion right now Tadashi. At the moment, why I don't battle is my concern. My fight, so to speak, is enlisting help to make sure to put Team Flare's fire out before it spreads. I've heard talk of them convincing others to join their side. I would be very cautious if I were you Tadashi. Anyway, I must go for now. I expect a full report on your findings, if any," Looker said as he winked out.

"Someone's a bit testy..." Tadashi mumbled to himself as he put his holo caster away.

Tadashi sighed as he stood up, glancing around at all of his sleeping friends. He had come along so far in his journey. His eyes fell upon Braixen first. A smile came over his visage as he recalled the memories he shared so far with her. From the time he met her as a Fennekin, to the powerful force she was now. He remembered the excitement he felt when Fennekin secured him his first badge. She even secured him the second one not too long after once she evolved. And to top it off, she defeated Clarice's Frogadier after a tough battle.

His eyes then fell on Kirlia as he recalled their first encounter. Fennekin and Tadashi were getting tired as they'd searched for quite a while. It wasn't until after they were about to get up did Ralts appear. From that day on, Ralts was also quite a contender. With a little help from Victor, she evolved into the Kirlia sleeping before him today.

His attention drew itself to Charmeleon who was rousing himself from his slumber. Boy was he a trip. He had evolved right before the second gym match, proving to be a strong Pokemon from the get go. He took down Amaura at the Cyllage City gym and went toe to toe with Korrina's Hawlucha by taking it down with a powerful fire fang.

Marowak was another one that helped him out significantly, considering he met him in Glittering Cave when he first encountered Team Flare. Yes, Cubone, now a Marowak, helped him out tremendously in several situations.

And then there was Lucario. He still felt a bit of remorse for accepting him from Korrina. It felt wrong, but he couldn't turn back now. He made a promise to Korrina, and he was going to keep it. Lucario helped him get his third badge and also assisted him in defeating Tyson. It was clear that he and Lucario were a good team, despite how Tadashi felt about it.

Lastly, there was the little troublemaker, Tyrunt. He was powerful, but a handful. He needed to learn some self restraint so he wouldn't bite everything that moved. Like that was ever going to happen. The happy little chomper was always going to be that way. It would probably get worse when he evolved...something Tadashi was curious about.

Now wasn't the time to worry about such things however, he had a gym match to prepare for. From what he knew about this gym leader is that he used grass types. So this match should be a no brainer as to who was going on his team. The only trouble was finding a suitable third teammate for the match. Braixen and Charmeleon were a must. But who would be the third. From what he was told, Ramos owned three Pokemon. He had two that had a clear advantage but he needed to figure out who else to use.

Marowak had just evolved so there was him. However...due to it being a battle in a grass gym...he wasn't too comfortable using Marowak in that fight. Kirlia could be a viable choice, but he wasn't sure if he ought to risk it. That's when his eyes fell to the little walking temper tantrum. Tyrunt. He wasn't fully rock, and therefore didn't have the weakness to the grass typing that Cubone did. On top of that, though he was small, he was a fricken dinosaur, and a dragon too. It's as if Arceus said 'hey, you know what would be awesome? If a dinosaur and a dragon mated. We could call them dino-dragons!'

So it was settled then, Tadashi would use Charmeleon, Braixen and Tyrunt. Now he just needed to wait for the other two to get their badges so he could have a shot. He always liked to prepare before he battled. He glanced down at the clock to see what time it was. He was surprised to find that it was already 10:30 in the morning. Had he slept in that late? He was going to do some training before the gym battle so he would be ready. So much for that idea. Victor and Clarice wouldn't be so happy if he missed another gym battle of theirs.

He hoped they hadn't already gone to the gym yet. He didn't need another earful from Clarice. Sighing, he hopped in the shower and quickly cleaned himself up. He jumped out and threw on his clothes really quickly before darting out the door, quickly recalling his Pokemon on the way out and placing them on his belt as per usual.

He dashed down the stairs to find that Clarice and Victor were still sitting by the tables eating. A sigh of relief escaped Tadashi's lips as he saw they were only partway into their meal.

"Well good morning sleepy head," Clarice greeted playfully, causing Tadashi to look at her oddly.

"Am I still asleep...or did you just try to joke around with me?" Tadashi inquired, getting a frown from Clarice.

"Why don't you come over here and we'll 'test' if you're still asleep," She grumbled.

"Okay, I'm definitely not dreaming them...good to know," Tadashi said as he sat across from Clarice who put a piece of pancake in her mouth.

Tadashi saw the cart by the table and decided to load himself up as well.

"Has Trinity come down yet?" Tadashi asked curiously, getting a raised brow from Victor.

"Yeah, she left about an hour ago. What she went to do I have no idea, but I don't much care considering we have more important things to do than worrying about what she's up to," Clarice said after swallowing a few more bites.

"That's true...I guess we'll see her at the gym then," Tadashi shrugged, taking a bite of his pancakes.

The gang soon finished up eating and walked out of the Pokemon Center towards the Coumarine Gym. The order of battle had already been decided. Clarice would be first, Victor would be second and Tadashi would be last. Considering he woke up late, that's how it was going to be. The inside of the gym was rather beautiful. Like most grass gyms, it was garden-like. This one however, took the cake entirely.

It consisted of one central tree and a garden around the entire gym. Needless to say, it left everyone rather speechless. Tadashi couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful it was. Everywhere they looked it was like a work of art. Victor got goosebumps, the good kind, just looking at it. He immediately took out his sketch book so he could begin drawing. Every time Victor saw something interesting or stunning, he always drew it. He even had a picture of the Parfum Palace that he'd painted. This was definitely going to be next.

As everyone was looking around, they heard the sound of footprints behind them. As they turned to see who it was, they expected to see Trinity. Instead, they saw an elderly man with a white, leaf-like goatee wearing a green hat. He had a red neckerchief, and sported a green long sleeve with rolled up sleeves and had on gardening gloves. In his hands were a huge pair of hedge trimmers.

"Well, what have we here? A group of whippersnappers coming into my garden? Isn't that mighty nice?" The old man said as he looked up at the gang.

"You must be Ramos. I'm Victor, and may I say this garden is fantastic! I just had to make a sketch of it so I can paint it later," Victor said with a grin.

"That's nice of you boy, I appreciate it," Ramos said with a smile.

"And who might you be young man?" Ramos asked curiously, walking over to him, using the trimmers as though it were a walking stick.

"My name's Tadashi, it's a pleasure to meet you," Tadashi said with a soft smile.

Ramos stared into Tadashi's penetrating emerald hues. They say that with age comes more wisdom. And Ramos had plenty of that to go around.

"My, my boy, you've got eyes like an endless forest. I can tell that you've done some growing on your journey," Ramos said as he turned to Clarice.

"And who might this beautiful young lady be?" Ramos said politely, earning a slight blush from Clarice.

"My name's Clarice...I'm pleased to make your acquaintance," Clarice said with a respectful curtsey. Her french accent coming out once more. She could try to hide it all she wanted, but she sounded cute when she let it show.

'When did she start doing that?' Tadashi and Victor both seemed to wonder.

Ramos looked into her eyes as well, getting a good feel for what she was all about as well. He could tell that her manners were well refined and she wasn't just feigning her politeness.

"Such a polite young lady. You keep some good company Tadashi, but I must say you're a bit slow when it comes to certain things young whippersnapper," He stated, glancing from him to Clarice before walking off.

'What did he mean by that?' Tadashi wondered nervously as he looked at Clarice. She blinked as he looked in her direction and then looked away, doing her best not to show that she was blushing.

Tadashi shrugged, assuming it was nothing and then turned to the two and spoke.

"Okay, Clarice, you're up first," Victor said with a smirk.

"Right, then it's you, then Tadashi," Clarice stated, walking off to find Ramos.

Soon the battle began and Tadashi sat with Victor as they watched Clarice go to work. So far she'd already taken out the Jumpluff after having difficulty catching the blasted thing. After it had used sunny day, it was difficult to catch. But after some strategizing, it was quickly overtaken by Clarice's Beedrill. After the Jumpluff had been defeated, it was onto Weepinbell who proved to be more than a nuisance. It was small, and agile and downright annoying. Beedrill fell to it but after sending out her Roselia, she managed to pull a win. Gogoat trounced her Roselia however, but once she sent out Steelix...well, everyone knew where that was going.

"That was some battle whippersnapper. You deserved to win that badge," Ramos said with a happy smile.

"Thank you Ramos, it was a well fought battle. I quite enjoyed myself," Clarice stated, adding her fourth badge to her box.

Ramos looked at Clarice for a moment, analyzing her as she put her badge case back.

"You have a lot of pride young lady, sometimes that can be a good thing, other times it can lead to one's downfall. I can see you are a proper lady, who has been instructed wisely. Do not let your pride get in the way of your relationship with others," Ramos said with a smile.

"And what do you mean by that?" Clarice asked, a frown forming on her features as she spoke.

"Just a word of caution whippersnapper, nothing more," Ramos said as he walked out of the gym to heal his Pokemon.

"As endearing as it is hearing him call us 'whippersnappers,' I really hope he stops that..." Clarice grumbled, seating herself down and crossing one leg over the other.

"It's definitely an old folks term..." Victor chuckled.

"Anyway, great job on the battle Clarice, you did really well," Tadashi said, leaning back in his seat as he began to contemplate his battle coming up after Victor's.

"You...really think...I..I mean of course it was a good battle. It's me after all right!?" Clarice stated as a matter of fact.

"And that's what Ramos meant...gotta work on that," Victor laughed.

Clarice glowered at Victor, causing him to put his hands up defensively.

Within about twenty minutes, Ramos was back and ready for another gym battle, after a bit of tea of course. What? He had to replenish his energy too right? He had a table set up in the gym and a kettle with hot water already made so they could all get a taste of his tea.

"This tea is really good, what's it made from?" Victor asked curiously.

"That's a special blend. It calms the nerves and soothes the mind, clearing it of anything toxic. It does wonders that's for sure, especially if you're about to have a battle," Ramos said with a smirk, looking towards Victor. At those words, the two finished their tea, leaving Clarice and Tadashi to their own devices to go and have their battle.

"Are you ready whippersnapper?" Ramos called out.

"Ready when you are, old timer," Victor called back.

And soon their battle began. Ramos started off a little differently, putting out Weepinbell first to see if he could get the edge from the start. However, there was no such luck to be had as Kadabra was too much for it to handle. Between the psychic attacks and constantly hitting the dirt, Weepinbell couldn't hold on. Ramos sent out Jumpluff to deal with the issue and managed to narrowly defeat Kadabra. Victor sent in Shelgon for cleanup duty and it remained until it battled Gogoat and eventually overcame the powerful, horned freight train. Needless to say, Ramos was impressed.

"Not only is your art wonderful, but your battle style reflects the same feeling as your art. You truly are a gifted soul," Ramos said with a smile before walking off to heal his Pokemon.

"He certainly can tell a lot about people can't he?" Tadashi said as he walked over to Victor.

"Yeah, he had Clarice and I spot on if I must say," Victor grinned.

"I am not that prideful!" Clarice glared.

"See, you're too proud to admit it," Victor laughed.

"Shut up!" Clarice snapped back, whacking him upside the head with her hand.

Victor cringed a bit as he held his head. Tadashi sighed softly and rolled his eyes at the scene. He swore the two were siblings in another life or something. Tadashi's mind wasn't going to focus on that at the moment. It was his turn to battle and he knew his fight was going to be a tough one. He was glad that he was going last, to say the least. Watching his friends battle gave him good time to plan strategies for how he was going to handle the match. If Jumpluff was sent out, he'd counter it with Tyrunt. The only thing that had him a bit worried was Jumpluff's cotton guard and speed when using sunny day.

Tyrunt was not exactly the fastest Pokemon in his arsenal. Most rock types usually weren't known for their speed. His speed would probably only mildly increase over time in his evolutionary state. Braixen would handle the Weepinbell and Charmeleon would tango with the Gogoat. It was going to be one heck of a match. It was not going to be easy. Ramos soon returned, a pleasent smile on his face and a spring in his step. Ramos seemed rather happy. He had two wonderful gym battles with two great trainers so far. If Tadashi held a candle to those two, he was certain this match was going to be a great one as well.

"Well whippersnapper, are you ready?" Ramos asked with a smirk.

"You bet!" Tadashi said excitedly, a determined expression dawning his features.

"Well then, let's go my boy," Ramos said as he walked over to his side of the arena.

The ref came over to the center of the arena, also dressed in gardening clothes as if he were an assistant or something.

"This battle is between the Coumarine City Gym Leader; Ramos, and the challenger; Tadashi! This will be a three on three matchup! Only the challenger will be allowed to substitute Pokemon! Tadashi will have the first move! Ready? Begin!" The referee announced, swinging his arm down to signal the start of what was sure to be a great match.

"Jumpluff, here we go!" Ramos called out, tossing his ball high in the air so that his companion could immerge.

"Tyrunt, you're up buddy!" Tadashi called out, sending out the little future city wrecker onto the field.

The little rock dragon roared as it got onto the field, ready to unleash havoc onto his opponent. Despite his tiny stature, Tyrunt was quite powerful. It was sturdy and could take some hits, which was why Tadashi wanted him in this fight. He also wanted him there because he had a big advantage over Jumpluff when it came to one certain thing. Defense. Jumpluff was at the disadvantage of having a weak defense. Tadashi was going to exploit this.

"Tyrunt, use ancient power!" Tadashi called commanded.

Stamping the ground excitedly, Tyrunt roared as rocks formed around his body, circulating as he readied them for use. A crimson aura surrounded his body as he released the rocks towards Jumpluff with deadly intent.

"Dodge it and use sunny day!" Ramos called out.

Jumpluff avoided the rocks swiftly and cried upwards towards the light filtering in from above. The light grew much brighter and a beam shot down, lighting up the arena. Now the chlorophyll ability could be used. This was going to be more of a challenge to Tadashi now.

"Tyrunt, rush in with bite!" Tadashi shouted.

"Dodge and use cotton guard!" Ramos called out.

Tyrunt roared and dashed off towards Jumpluff, jaws open and ready to clamp down onto Jumpluff like it were a tasty treat. Seeing the rampaging whinosaurusrex heading his way, Jumpluff dodged the oncoming bite with perfect ease. Jumpluff then surrounded his body with thick cotton defenses, the cotton dissipating as his defense was increased greatly.

"Now use grass knot!" Ramos ordered.

Jumpluff channeled his energy through the ground and caused a grass root to appear and knock Tyrunt over. The little rock dragon growled low as it looked up at Jumpluff.

"Head in with acrobatics!" Ramos demanded.

A smirk crossed his features as Tadashi saw this. Both Victor and Clarice knew what he was up to. This was such a Tadashi move. An evil one at that. Jumpluff closed in, unaware of the plans Tadashi had for it.

"Tyrunt, use rock tomb!" Tadashi said called out, knowing that Jumpluff wouldn't be able to avoid it so easily.

Tyrunt roared as it slammed its foot down, causing rocks to rise up beside him and then fly towards the oncoming Jumpluff. Being way too close to dodge, Jumpluff took the super effective strike head on and landed on the ground a good distance away. His speed had been reduced due to the effect rock tomb had. He was trapped between a few rocks and wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Tyrunt, let's wrap this up with ancient power!" Tadashi called out. Tyrunt roared obnoxiously, beating his chest and stomping his feat before releasing a barrage of stones towards the defenseless Jumpluff. He had no choice but to take the attack as it exploded onto him. When the dust settled, Jumpluff could be seen knocked out on the ground.

"Jumpluff is unable to battle! Tyrunt wins!" The referee declared.

"Way to go Tyrunt!" Tadashi cheered.

The little rock dragon jumped up and down happily, and then stared at Ramos as if to say 'who's next?' Ramos recalled Jumpluff and put him back under his belt.

"You did well Jumpluff, why don't you recuperate for a while?" Ramos said as he took out his next Pokemon.

"Alright, Weepinbell here we go!" Ramos said, tossing the small bell shaped dual type onto the field.

'So it's Weepinbell now huh? I'm gonna have to be careful...he's a tough one...' Tadashi thought to himself, knowing not to underestimate the strategy Ramos used in his battles.

"Tyrunt, use rock tomb!" Tadashi ordered.

"Dodge and use poison powder!" Ramos countered.

Tyrunt hurled a volley of rocks towards Weepinbell, aiming to cut it off. However, Weepinbell was able to avoid it due to his own chlorophyll ability. Weepinbell spewed poisonous powder from his mouth and hit target directly. Tyrunt was now poisoned.

'I was afraid of this...now he's got Tyrunt weakened...' Tadashi thought, clenching his fist as he watched Tyrunt struggle with the poison.

"Now use vine whip and slam!" Ramos called out.

Weepinbell shot vines towards Tyrunt and grabbed the little nuisance by the midsection and raised him high, bringing him down with great force onto the ground.

"Throw him towards the ground and use grass knot!" Ramos ordered.

Before Tyrunt knew it he was sent spiriling down towards the arena once more and then knocked over by another grass knot. Tyrunt struggled to get up but flopped over due to fatigue. Tyrunt was knocked out.

"Tyrunt is unable to battle! Weepinbell wins!" The referee informed.

"Great job Tyrunt, you deserve a good rest...we'll take it from here," Tadashi said as he grabbed his next Pokeball.

'He seems to have a good connection with his Pokemon. It's as if they adhere to his commands, not simply because they must, but because they want to make him happy and they truly see him as a friend. This boy, whether he realizes it or not, is gifted,' Ramos thought as he watched Tadashi choose his next partner.

"It's your turn partner...let's do it!" Tadashi said as he threw Braixen's pokeball onto the field.

Braixen appeared spinning her stick like a baton before sheathing it in her tail fur. Braixen looked over at Weepinbell with a sly smile, one that all foxes were known to wear.

Weepinbell didn't know what to make of this. Braixen seemed as calm as her trainer. It was as if the two were in perfect sync and the battle between the two hadn't even begun. However, one command from Tadashi changed all that.

"Braixen, use flame charge!" Tadashi ordered.

Braixen howled and engulfed itself in an inferno, her flames licking the grass beneath her as she took off towards the Weepinbell.

"Dodge, and use poison powder!" Ramos called out, wanting to get the edge as fast as possible.

"Use flame charge to dodge and close in!" Tadashi ordered.

The flames rose up around Braixen as she raced back towards the descending grass type with greater speed. She was about to ring the bell. She slammed into Weepinbell and sent him flying.

"Oh no, Weepinbell!" Ramos cried out disparingly.

"Let's try out a new move this time! Use psyshock!" Tadashi ordered.

"When did Braixen learn that?" Victor inquired, searching Clarice for an explanation.

"Must have been recently...you two did have a battle after all," Clarice reminded him.

"Oh...yeah, we did didn't we?" Victor laughed.

Braixen concentrated its psychic energies into a single point and then released them all in small powerful shockwaves that collided with the falling bell-shaped pokemon, creating a devastating explosion. Weepinbell fell from the smoke in the air after taking a super effective hit and landed knocked out on the ground.

"Weepinbell is unable to battle! Braixen is the winner!" The referee declared.

"Awesome job Braixen!" Tadashi called out, getting a happy chirp from Braixen.

Braixen loved her trainer. There was no doubt about that. And she would do everything she could to keep him as happy as she saw him now. Even if it meant being more tolerable of male trainers. She still wanted to set Victor's pants ablaze every time she saw him. But because of Tadashi, she wouldn't, out of respect for his wishes.

"That was a mighty fine display whippersnapper, but don't think you're out of the woods just yet," Ramos said as he took out his last pokeball.

"We'll take whatever you throw at us Ramos!" Tadashi said in a determined tone.

"Okay Gogoat, let's go!" Ramos called out, releasing Gogoat onto the field.

'This is it...if I beat Gogoat here the match is mine. If not...it'll be all up to Charmeleon. Gogoat is strong so I have to stay vigilent. It's time...' Tadashi thought as he focused his attention on Gogoat.

"Braixen use flame charge!" Tadashi ordered.

Ramos simply smiled at this maneuver and nodded towards Gogoat whose horns began to glow.

"Do it now Gogoat!" Ramos called out.

Gogoat stomped a hoove and a storm of razorleaf came rushing out of it, creating a dusty cyclone of sorts for him to hide behind. When Braixen came barreling through, she found that she'd missed her target. At that moment, Gogoat came running through the cloud like a steam train and rammed into Braixen with a horn leech. Braixen cried out in pain as she was bombarded and tumbled backwards from the blow.

"Braixen, get up and use ember!" Tadashi called out.

Braixen got up and shook off the blow, wincing a bit as she'd been struck rather hard. She took the stick from the back of her tail and lit it like a match off of her tail fur. She then spun it around and shot a burst of flames towards Gogoat who simply stood there without moving.

"Use bulldoze!" Ramos called out.

Gogoat lowered its horns and they glowed a vibrant green as he began to charge in for the assault. The ground shook under its power as he rampaged towards Braixen. He even took the oncoming ember, damaging him as he ran but it did not deter him. With great force, he rammed his head into Braixen, connecting the super effective move with critical force. Braixen was sent flying back and landed in a heap on the ground, knocked out.

"Braixen is unable to battle! Gogoat is the winner!" The announcer called out.

Tadashi couldn't believe it. He was sure he had the advantage in that fight. But that Gogoat was strong. He'd witnessed its might in the previous gym battles his friends had, but he never realized just how powerful Gogoat was until now. He sighed as he took out Braixen's pokeball and returned her to it.

"It's okay Braixen, you did a great job. Now just let me and Charmeleon handle this..." Tadashi said to himself as he picked up the fire lizard's pokeball.

"You ready whippersnapper? It's the final showdown and you've got us pumped!" Ramos said with a smirk.

Tadashi grinned as he held up Charmeleon's pokeball. It was symbolizing his last hope and he was going to battle as hard as he could. Tadashi said nothing as he released Charmeleon onto the field.

Charmeleon roared and once again shot flames into the air, excitement building as the intensity of the flames of its tail increased. He was ready for a battle.

"Up for some fun, Charmeleon?" Tadashi asked, getting a nod and a roar from his companion as he turned towards Gogoat. His excitement only grew as he saw how strong his opponent was, increasing his flames to a much greater potency.

"That's what I like to see, now let's do this!" Tadashi said as he stared back at Ramos.

"Use razor leaf!" Ramos called out.

Once again, a razor leaf storm kicked up only this time it rushed past Charmeleon as if it had no intent to hit him. Gogoat had disappeared again and Tadashi was a little worried. He remembered what happened last time this occurred.

"Charmeleon, feel Gogoat out in the attack! When he gets close, blast him with dragon rage!" Tadashi ordered.

Before Charmeleon could do anything however, Gogoat charged in with a powerful horn leech, knocking Charmeleon back several feet.

Charmeleon slowly got to his feet after such a powerful blow. Needless to say he wasn't very happy about it. He roared defiantly at Gogoat who simply lowered his horns at Charmeleon.

"Gogoat, charge in with horn leech again!" Ramos called out.

Tadashi waited until the appropriate time and then looked at Charmeleon who gave him a knowing look, showing he understood.

Charmeleon then opened his mouth, right as Gogoat was ontop of him and he bit down onto Gogoat as his assault connected, blue flames kindling in his mouth as he held on tightly. Gogoat cried out in pain and threw Charmeleon off of him. A burning sensation was left on his body, signifying that he would now suffer burn damage throughout the match.

"Well that ain't good..." Ramos said as he saw the burn left by Charmeleon's bite marks.

'Perfect...just like I wanted...though Charmeleon took more damage than I wanted him to...still, he got the job done,' Tadashi thought as he turned back to the fight.

"Gogoat, use bulldoze!" Ramos called out.

Gogoat's horns glowed green for a few seconds before he raced in, the earth trembling beneath his might as he charged forward with vicious intent. Gogoat rammed into Charmeleon and sent him flying back, but not as far as before.

Charmeleon struggled to get up, but he wasn't damaged as badly as he would have been. Thanks to the burn, the bulldoze was reduced in power which gave Charmeleon more of a chance.

"Don't let up, follow it up with horn leech!" Ramos called out.

Gogoat charged in, powering up his horns as he prepared to suck the energy from Charmeleon to heal himself. This, however, was a mistake in itself. It seemed that it had slipped Ramos's mind that Tadashi loved when his opponent got close. A smirk crossed Tadashi's visage, reminding Ramos of this fact a little late.

"Charmeleon, use flame burst!" Tadashi ordered.

Charmeleon kindled blue and white flames in his mouth as he reared his head back. He then shot a powerful blast towards the oncoming freight train that was Gogoat, blasting him at point blank range. The explosion shook the arena and soon the smoke began to dissappear, revealing Charmeleon standing over a knocked out Gogoat.

"Gogoat is unable to battle! Charmeleon is the winner! The victory goes to Tadashi the challenger!" The referee declared.

"Way to go Charmeleon!" Tadashi cheered.

"Char! Charmeleon!" Charmeleon roared, pounding his chest and breathing fire into the air.

Tadashi made his way over to his friend and hugged him tight. Charmeleon grinned happily and hugged in return.

"Gotta hand it to ya whippersnapper, I thought I had you beat," Ramos said as he walked over towards him with a badge in hand.

"Yeah, for a while there I thought Gogoat was going to mow us down," Tadashi chuckled, looking over at Gogoat as it walked up beside his trainer.

Gogoat looked at Charmeleon who glanced back at it, giving it a nod out of respect. Gogoat was a poweful opponent and it was a pleasure fighting him.

"Well, Tadashi, it's my honor to present to you the Plant Badge," Ramos said as he handed him the badge.

"Thank you, Ramos, that was an awesome battle. You were a tough challenge to overcome," Tadasahi complimented.

"That's mighty nice of you to say whippersnapper, I hope you enjoyed our battle," Ramos said with a smile.

"Good job Tadashi, you got your fourth badge. Four down and four to go!" Victor said with enthusiasm.

"Yes, excellent work Tadashi, you are steadily growing stronger," Clarice said with a faint smile.

'Is it just me...or is Clarice getting nicer? Maybe it was the battle...or maybe she's just tired of giving us grief...' Tadashi thought.

"But you still could have worked on your strategy a bit more. It was a little sloppy after your start, but I suppose it worked out," Clarice stated with narrowed eyes.

'Annnnd there it is...' Tadashi thought with a grimace.

"Regardless of his strategy, the point is he won and we're all still together. I think this calls for a celebration, and what better way for that to happen than to sit down at a nice buffet?" Victor said with a cheesy smile.

"Well, I am quite hungry...that battle made me peckish that's for sure," Tadashi said as his stomach reminded him that he needed something to eat.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm starving, I didn't get as much as I would have liked this morning," Victor grumbled.

"Well, let's not sit around here whining about it and get to it...and while we're at it, we can see if Trinity is back. Not that it matters..." Clarice muttered, walking towards the exit.

"She's a rather strange one isn't she?" Ramos said as he watched her pause at the exit.

"Yeah, she won't admit it, but I think she's warming up to us more by the day," Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"I'm with ya there bro, it's only a matter of time before she stops being so snappy...though I admit...it would be kinda weird without her being that way, I'm kinda used to her rants," Victor laughed.

"Are you two going to come with me, or do I need to come over there and drag you out? Or is it not clear to you that I am hungry?!" Clarice snarled.

"Yeah, yeah, keep your shirt on Clarice, we're coming!" Victor called out, turning to Ramos as he spoke.

"Thank you for everything Ramos, I had fun," Victor said with a bright smile.

"As did I whippersnapper, now you two run along. I can tell your friend is really impatient," Ramos chuckled.

Tadashi watched as Ramos tuned and walked away, hedge trimmers still being used as a cane as he did so. Tadashi followed Victor quickly so that the fuse on Clarice wouldn't reach its limit. Ramos turned around as they all walked out together, a smile on his visage as he looked down at his Gogoat.

"You did a fine job Gogoat. Those trainers were quite gifted, yes...quite gifted indeed. The way they handled their Pokemon was as if they had been together as long as you and I have...though I've got the head of white hair to prove it," Ramos laughed.

Tadashi and the gang all walked into the Pokemon Center to heal up and eat. As usual, they found Trinity there sitting down and reading music.

"Hey you three!" She said cheerfully upon seeing them.

"Hey Trinity, how'd your day go?" Tadashi inquired, getting a grin from Trinity.

"Oh it went splendidly. I saw so many beautiful things around here, it was marvelous!" Trinity chirped.

"This girl is a little too happy go lucky..." Clarice said to herself, sweat-dropping as she watched Trinity spin around rather gracefully.

"That's good to know. I'm glad you had fun today," Victor said with a smirk. His expression changed, however, when he began to think about the day.

'Come to think of it...this is the second time she's had to run off like this. I wonder what's so important that she feels the need to miss our battles. Whatever the case may be, I'm sure she's got her reasons,' Victor thought as he analyzed her.

"Everything okay Victor?" Tadashi asked, snapping Victor out of his serious state.

"Uh, yeah, sorry I was just thinking about our battles that's all," Victor chuckled.

"By the way, how'd they go?" Trinity asked curiously.

A smile spread over the trio's face in unison as the held out their badge box for Trinity to see.

"Awesome! You guys are on a roll!" Trinity said with a grin.

"So, what shall we do to celebrate?" Trinity inquired excitedly.

"Well, I thought we could all grab some chow, I'm starved," Victor said as his stomach rumbled.

"Then I've got just the thing to fill you up. I'll whip up a meal for you guys that you'll never forget...I just need to go get some supplies first.

A joyfull expression appeared on the trio's faces as they heard this. They all remembered the last time they tasted Trinity's cooking. It was fabulous, and it was the perfect way to top off their day after three consecutive victories. Trinity gave a sly smile as she say their joyous expressions.

'I've got them eating out of the palm of my hand...' she thought with a smirk.

'Won't be much longer now...don't worry Tiana...I will save you...' she thought with a determined expression.

_**And that wraps up another one! This one took me a while but it was well worth the write. So the original trio now has their fourth badge. Trinity is continuing to gain their trust so she can put her plans into motion. But just what are those plans? What does she have in store for our heroes? All will be made clear soon enough on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	20. Chapter 20

**And the good times keep rolling! How are you all doing this fine fine morning? It's a bit cloudy over here. Nonetheless, I am enjoying myself. My sides also hurt from laughing at deviant art postings involving a Mega Swampert on steriods (eating a bunch of mega stones). Anywho, we're getting off track. So, how did you all like the previous installment? I know that some of you might have been hoping for an evolution but alas I decided against it for now. But fear not! Anyway, it's time to jump into another chapter. That's right, it's go time! I hope you're ready because you guys are in for a treat! A shout-out to PhantomGalaxy13 for one of the ideas in this story. Thanks PG-13! Now, read and enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 20: The King of Fire,** **Advent**!

Tadashi awoke the next morning early once again. He groggily lifted himself off of the bed as he looked at the clock. It was 5:00 in the morning. What in the name of Arceus was he doing up so early? He looked down to see his Pokemon fast asleep as usual. There soon came a knock on his door which surprised him. Who could be knocking on his door at this hour? And for what purpose?

"Tadashi?" The soft voice of Clarice said tiredly, catching Tadashi off guard.

Tadashi blinked in surprise at this. What was she doing up? More importantly, what was she doing knocking on his door?

"Are you awake?" She asked, still not getting an answer.

Tadashi contemplated not answering. But, due to his nature he decided against it and walked to the door, opening it. Clarice was standing before him wearing a night gown and carrying a Floette plushie. Her hair was down and she had a rather exhausted look on her face.

"Uh...what's up Clarice?" Tadashi inquired quietly.

"I...just wanted to talk is all. Is it okay if I come in?" Clarice asked, getting a wide-eyed expression from Tadashi.

"Don't you dare get the wrong idea..." she grumbled, causing Tadashi to shake his head and put his hands up defensively.

"N-no...it's not like that at all. Sure...come on in...just try not to wake Tyrunt...he can be very cranky when he's woken up. Last time I caught him with Marowak's head in his mouth. I had to break the two up before that situation got anymore hairy..." Tadashi laughed nervously.

"Oh really? Sounds amusing..." Clarice laughed softly.

Tadashi blinked in surprise. Something didn't seem right. Clarice was in his room. His room. What was her purpose? What was she doing there? Was it mentioned that she was in his room? He couldn't wrap his mind around it. He watched her sit down on the bed.

Clarice looked down at Braixen who was yawning and stretching in her sleep as she curled up on the floor. Clarice smiled softly and reached her hand down to gently stroke the ear, getting a satisfied noise from Braixen. This too, confused Tadashi.

"Tadashi..." Clarice sighed, looking up at him with a gentle smile.

"Uh...yes, Clarice?" He inquired, keeping eye contact with her.

"Sit down dummy...you look awkward standing there..." Clarice stated.

'She's right you know...' Lucario's voice entered his mind, catching him off guard.

'Hey, you're supposed to be asleep!' Tadashi growled in his head.

'What are you talking about? I am asleep...' Lucario grinned in his sleep.

'Yeah, and I'm a Dunsparce...now keep quiet...' Tadashi grumbled.

Lucario simply laughed in his head as Tadashi sat down by Clarice. Lucario was no dummy when it came to feeling auras. Unbeknownst to Tadashi, he could read auras, even when he was asleep. His appendages even gave him the color that they were. And right now, Clarice's was a brilliant red. This was the same aura that Tadashi experienced. His, however, bordered on the dangerous and clouded area. Clarice's aura, however, was starting to turn pink. It wasn't fully there yet...but it was getting close.

Red, as was seen, means passionate, powerful, and strong willed. But there was a lighter shade that still kept the same elements while adding in the most powerful force ever known. Love. It was slowly developing. Right now, Clarice was experiencing an inner struggle with herself and her feelings. The way she clutched her Floette plushie showed this. A pink aura was an indication of a loving, and sensual person. It showed that she also appreciated the finer things in life. This was a drastic change from the rather dark and murky brown she used to be.

The darker auras represent negativity. Or blocked energy centers within the body. Her aura was previously dark murky brown which represented a person's fear of letting go because they were trying to hold onto their own personal power and were afraid of sharing themselves with others. She was such a person and for such a drastic change in aura to occur was fascinating. Lucario smiled softly in his sleep. This was most certainly going to be an interesting morning.

"Is everything okay Tadashi?" Clarice inquired, tilting her head slightly. Why was she being so cute all of a sudden?

"Y-yeah...sorry, I'm still sleepy is all..." Tadash lied, not wanting to endulge her with the conversation that went on in his head earlier.

"I see...I'm pretty tired as well. But I wanted someone to talk to...so, here I am..." Clarice said with a soft smile.

Tadashi couldn't get over it. He wanted to close his eyes and pretend that this was all a dream. He'd wake up and she'd be in her room and he would have simply imagined it. But alas, this was real.

'This is so strange...why is she in here? I don't get it...' Tadashi thought as he looked back at her.

'My Arceus you are slow...' Lucario chuckled.

'I thought I told you to keep quiet...' Tadashi replied in irritated fashion.

'Sorry, I'll be quiet...it's just that it's so entertaining how oblivious you are...' Lucario laughed.

'I'll show you oblivious!' Tadashi scolded.

"Tadashi, are you zoning out again?" Clarice asked impatiently.

"Er..sorry, so...what did you want to talk about?" Tadashi asked quietly.

"Well, first off...it's about our adventure so far. I don't know why...but I get this horrible feeling that something bad is going to happen. I had to come talk to you about it because it kept me up most of the night..." Clarice said in a worried tone.

"I have the same feeling too...and I don't like it. So far we've had quite a few close calls with death. I don't know why Team Flare is trying to kill us. What did we do? It's not like we go around trying to seek them out...they just happen to be there..." Tadashi sighed.

"That's the thing Tadashi...they're ALWAYS there. The Glittering Cave, Geosenge, Route 12 for Arceus sake..." She said sternly, keeping her voice as low as she could.

"I know Clarice...running into them may just be inevitable. It's how things are right now. But we'll get through it...don't worry," Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"My father...he works for them..." Clarice uttered, leaving Tadashi in silence.

"W-what?" Tadashi asked, making sure he heard right.

"I found out because my mother was visited by Team Flare and they had a male scientist with them. This was last night...she managed to escape to safety when the Lumiose Police suspected something. Apparently Looker was in the area when he spotted something suspicious. He took a group with him to investigate, but when he got there nobody was there. My mother had gone into an alleyway and hid after escaping out a side entrance in our home. My mother swears she saw my father..." Clarice said as she started to tear up.

"Tadashi...I...I'm scared...my mother could have died..." Clarice sobbed as she fell onto Tadashi who managed to stay in an upright position, Clarice's arms draped about his neck.

Tadashi was in utter shock. Had he heard her correctly? Was her father really working for Team Flare? If that was the case...it was no wonder that she was frightened.

"That man...I know he tried to kill my mother. How could he attempt to do such a thing to the one who loved him in spite of how cruel and uncaring he was?" She cried, gripping his pajama top, soaking it in tears.

"Clarice...I..." Tadashi began.

"I just don't understand...what are we going to do Tadashi? They left a note with my mother saying that if we interfered any more...that they were going to kill her...that he would personally do it with his own hands...I can't bare the thought of losing her..." Clarice sobbed.

Tadashi couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was beyond unforgivable. Anger could be seen behind those sympathetic forests as he clenched his fists. He wasn't going to let her see him the way he was before however, she was already a mess as it was.

"Clarice..." He spoke up, looking down at the fragile sobbing mess in his lap.

"Is your mother still at her house?" Tadashi inquired, causing Clarice to shake her head.

"No...she's with Looker. That man is the one who found the note after he went in to investigate. He informed me of everything my mother said...somehow he got my holo caster registry...mother must have given it to him," Clarice said, visibly trembling as she spoke.

"Then she's in good hands...I don't know much about Looker...but I can tell that no harm will come to her while she's with him. I am sure your mother will be fine...and as for your father, if I ever see him...well, let's not talk about him..." Tadashi sighed, glancing down at Clarice who was still shivering.

"I'm scared Tadashi...I know I must look like an idiot right now. Heh...the girl who pushed you around and insulted you is now running to you for help...talk about a twist of fate..." Clarice sighed, looking up into his emerald hues with tear stained eyes.

"Hey...it'll be okay. We're a team now...and that's what matters. Victor, me, even Trinity know that...at least she seems to anyway. The point is, we will do everything in our power to make sure nothing bad happens...okay? Your mother will be safe..." Tadashi reassured her.

Clarice gripped his shirt tightly and hid her face in it. She was so grateful to Tadsahi despite her trying to hide it. He put up with her selfish attitude and bigotry and cared enough to make her realize that she wasn't alone in her struggles. What could she do to show that she was truly sorry for all of it? Sure she'd apologized, twice, but she felt as though she could have done more. She didn't know what possessed her to look up at Tadashi the way she did. She wondered even more what got ahold of her for her to think about doing what she was contemplating.

He was so warm...caring, and everything her father wasn't to her. For most of her life she'd been just like Tadashi's Braixen. She was disgusted by boys her age...and just boys in general. And now? Her heart couldn't stop racing. She felt drawn to Tadashi in the same way that Pokemon are, but in a more romantic sense than anything else. She slowly reached up and touched his face, getting a surprised reaction from him as she got closer.

At that moment, a knock came on their door and interrupted everything. Clarice snapped out of her state of mind and blushed profusely. She had nearly done it. She was so close and then it had to get ruined. Maybe it wasn't the right time? It was then that she heard a voice on the other side of the door.

"Tadashi, you up yet? It's 8:00 and we really ought to get ready, Trinity and I will wait for you downstairs. By the way, where's Clarice? I knocked on her door but nobody answered. Did she go off somewhere?" Victor asked.

Tadashi was visibly nervous at this point. He couldn't bare to know what would happen if Victor saw Clarice, dressed in nothing but a stopping above the knees night gown, in his room. Clarice looked petrified and remained silent.

'Better think fast...Victor's not stupid...' Lucario reminded Tadashi.

'Yeah...I know that...now let me think...' Tadashi shot back as he looked towards the bathroom. An idea formed in his head and he whispered to Clarice to go and hide in there.

"Be right there!" He called, from the opposite side of the room, making Clarice flush the toilet and turn the sink on.

Victor could hear all of this and a soft smile crossed his features.

'He must have been in the bathroom, well...a man has to do his business...' Victor thought.

Tadashi went to the door and opened it after Clarice opened and closed the door to make it sound like he was coming out of the bathroom.

"What's up Victor?" Tadashi asked, standing in the doorway.

"Eh? I just wanted to see if you were up and had any clue where Clarice was. It's not like her to not answer me with some sort of irritated remark when she gets up," Victor added.

"Not sure on that one Victor, knowing her she could be somewhere reading a magazine. You know how she is..." Tadashi said with a faint smile, hiding his nervousness.

"Are you sure she's not just passed out in her room? The nurse didn't mention anything about anyone coming downstairs or taking a magazine," Victor stated, a curious look on his face.

Meanwhile, Clarice sat in the bathroom and was steadily getting more nervous. This would be the most awkward thing in the world if Victor found out. She did her best to be quiet to avoid getting caught.

"Huh...well then I don't know. And knowing her, she probably wouldn't tell us right away. I'm sure she's probably fine, she always shows up...we had a habit of running into each other, remember?" Tadashi reminded Victor, causing him to laugh.

"Yeah...her facial expressions were the best. Anyway, see you downstairs. Hopefully she'll be down as well," Victor said as he walked away.

Tadashi nodded and closed the door silently, breathing a sigh of relief. Victor made his way downstairs and was now out of earshot.

"It's okay, you can come out now..." Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"Finally, I was wondering when he was going to leave, that nearly gave me a heart attack. Can you imagine what he would have said if he saw me in here?" Clarice said with a blush.

"Yeah...it would have been something along the lines of 'well that escalated quickly...'" Tadashi chuckled.

"No doubt...but...anyway...I should probably get ready. There's no telling when our friend will come back. And when he does I don't want to be found in here," Clarice grumbled.

"It's alright, I wouldn't want that to happen either. They'd start to get the wrong idea," Tadashi muttered.

Both of them looked at one another for a moment. Clarice was replaying what she nearly did in her mind. She was just moments from something that could have been either blissful or terrible. She didn't know what to expect and probably wouldn't anytime soon. She simply smiled at him, hiding her blush as she reached for the door.

"Thank you...by the way...for talking with me that is. You're a really kind individual...unlike my father. I hope you don't see me the same way you did when we met...I am really trying hard to change that, honestly I am...in anycase, I need to go change and shower. I feel gross," Clarice said with a soft laugh.

"I probably should do the same, the others are going to be eating in about half an hour so we should probably get to it," Tadashi laughed.

Clarice smiled softly and nodded as she walked out of his room. She walked into her room and picked up her holo caster, typing out a message for Tadashi. His holo caster beeped, alerting him of the message. He picked his up and read these words: 'I'm still going to beat you...our rivalry is still going Tadashi...' The note ended with a winky face, of all the emoticons she could have used, it had to be that one.

Tadashi rolled his eyes as he messaged her back: 'Bring it on, I'm ready any day, any time...' he replied before putting the holo caste down.

After about fifteen minutes, Tadashi was out of the shower and in his clothes, ready to head down stairs to eat. Clarice was just stepping out of the shower when she saw his message. A smirk crossed her features as she read it.

"We'll see just how ready you are Tadashi..." Clarice snickered.

After getting dressed, she walked downstairs to see the group was just getting their food. She took quite a while to get ready but the results were favorable if she said so herself. She looked dressed to kill with her black v-neck dress that stopped above the knee. Black stockings were visible and she wore leather boots to match the look. Her hair was tied up like it was previously, indicating that it was a look she liked.

"Well hey there foxy lady, how you doin'?" Trinity teased as she saw how Clarice looked.

"I'm doing very well thank you. I'm in a fairly decent mood so I would appreciate it if you wouldn't spoil it for me..." Clarice snapped.

"Oi, I'm just joking Clarice. Don't get your undies in a bunch," Trinity chuckled.

Clarice ignored her comment with a huff, looking over at Tadashi knowingly. He knew she wasn't in the best of shape after what she'd told him. She was crying into his shoulder earlier after all. She was feeling a devastating amount of pain that she was overshadowing with her usual self. Tadashi understood this, which is why he didn't say anything.

"You look great Clarice," Tadashi said as he picked up his plate and sat down.

"Thank you Tadashi..." Clarice said with a slight blush.

"I'm with you on that bro, she looks fan-freakin-tastic," Victor said with a smirk.

This caused Clarice to blush even more.

'Boys...' She thought with an irritated sigh. The image of her nearly closing the gap between hers and Tadashi's lips was still etched in her mind. She wondered if he had the same thoughts. She wasn't going to let it distract her now however. She sighed as she looked over at the group as they sat down. She made her way over and sat next to Trinity as the spot by Tadashi was taken. She was a little sad but thankful at the same time. If they found out she was starting to have feelings for Tadashi, they'd never let her hear the end of it.

She slowly began to eat her waffles, her mind racing from everything she had discussed with Looker. That...and there was still that moment she had with Tadashi. Though nothing happened, she couldn't shake the feeling that she wanted that chance again, BADLY. She ate her meal in silence while the others talked.

"Everything okay, Clarice?" Trinity asked, wondering why her usual witty friend was so quiet.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Clarice looked over at Trinity and quietly nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just tired and hungry I guess," She said as she started to shovel her food down as if her life depended on it.

"Whoa, take it easy, your food's not going anywhere," Trinity laughed.

That was too close. She couldn't afford to have everyone find out about what happened. Not even Trinity could know about it. She still didn't trust her enough to open up to her. She was still leery of her. Surprisingly, the little escapade that went on at Clarice's house was unknown information to her as she didn't work with most of Team Flare, save for the members of the Inferno Branch. She took orders from Celosia mostly, and Xerosic...even though she loathed that man.

After they all finished up, they walked out of the Pokemon Center after handing in their keys. Tadashi couldn't help but look over at Clarice. She had been dressing up a lot as of late. On top of that, she came into his room with a plushie of a Pokemon he'd never seen before. Tadashi's next thought was of what happened just before Victor knocked. He couldn't help but feel he like something wasn't clicking. Maybe it was because he was slow after all...or maybe he was too busy trying to process the events that occurred so far. Regardless, what went on in there would stay in there.

At the Power Plant in the Badlands of Lumiose, Team Flare was hatching a rather dastardly scheme. The science faction of Team Flare was present to oversee the operation.

"Do you think this will be enough? The device is still a prototype," Came the voice of a man stated, as he looked up at the main power source to the plant. He was part of the science faction of Team Flare. He was a recent addition who shared similar ideals.

"Come now, have a little faith will you? We scientists know what we're doing," a woman's voice said with a smirk.

The woman had mid-length green hair and wore a tight fitting orange outfit that was similar to Celosia's. She seemed to be of the exotic sort. She had shaply hips and a slender figure. And like Celosia, wore a tie matching the color of her hair. With her was an Admin who wore a white buisness skirt with a matching top. She had orange stockings and long ginger hair.

"He's right, Bryony. That design was difficult to put together and it was of an old model. Though I must admit...Team Rocket was brilliant for thinking of it. So what exactly are WE doing with it?" The female Admin inquired.

"It will work," another female voice stated as she walked up beside Bryony.

This woman had short ginger hair, and wore a dress that had an almost umbrella-likeopening to it. She had on a pair of gold stockings and orange boots as well. She had on a visor with an orange light in the center.

"If you say so, Aliana," the Admin sighed.

"You know? I just had the most brilliant idea..." Aliana stated with a devious grin.

"And what might that be?" Bryony inquired curiously.

"We use it on the brats Pokemon. We wouldn't want it to fail on our own Pokemon if that happens. It would cause a major set back and probably cost us our positions, or lives, whichever comes first. So here's what we'll do..." Aliana said with a cheshire grin.

The group had just made it out onto the badlands when Tadashi's holo caster beeped. It was a message from Looker, which meant it was important. He sighed softly and opened it right away. The others gathered around to listen.

"What is it Looker?" Tadashi asked as he saw a rather urgent expression on his face.

"Where are you four right now?" He said sternly.

"Uh...we're out here in the Lumiose Badlands headed for the city right now...why?" Tadashi inquired.

"Delay that...I have an assignment for you four," Looker stated, a serious expression remaining.

"Can't it wait? We're on our way to get our fifth badge. So unless it's important..." Tadashi began.

"No! It can't wait, and here's why Tadashi. The Lumiose Power Plant has been experiencing unusual issues as of late. I don't know why, but when I contacted the Power Plant to see if everything was alright, nobody answered. I thought it was because they were busy, but this has been going on for quite a while. I want you four to investigate any possible Team Flare activities in the area before going to Lumiose. I suspect there's something amiss...that is all," Looker said as he winked out.

Tadashi sighed softly as he looked at the group. He was hoping it would be a while before running into Team Flare. He wasn't wanting to right now, but it looked as though duty called. He did promise to help after all.

"Does anyone have any idea where the Power Plant is?" Tadashi asked curiously.

"I do, actually..." Victor stated as he turned and pointed towards the east of their current location.

"It's over there. The place is pretty big on the inside. I've been there once or twice," Victor said as he turned to lead the way.

"Alright then, why don't we get going?" Tadashi stated, following Victor as he led the way.

"Right behind you Tadashi!" Trinity chirped.

This was part of the plan she knew about. Team Flare was going to use a new and improved version of an invention of Team Rocket's that forced Pokemon to evolve. The chaos that it would cause would wreak havoc upon Kalos and that was just the beginning. What she wasn't aware of...was their plan to use it on the trio's Pokemon. The group was soon met with a guard outside of the power plant who threw out his Pokemon to defend. However, they were no match for Clarice's Steelix as she quickly mopped the floor with them.

"Beat me to the punch huh?" Tadashi said as he placed his Pokeball back onto his belt.

"Sorry, I just hate seeing those walking fashion disasters...they get on my nerves," Clarice growled.

The guard rushed inside after dropping the key card out of panic. Tadashi smirked as he walked over and picked it up. Clarice recalled her Steelix and walked up next to Tadashi. Victor and Trinity followed as Tadashi opened the doors.

They walked inside only to find things...empty. Empty? But, wasn't there a guard just then? Tadashi didn't like the looks of things. The group walked towards the hall leading to the main room in the plant only to find the place littered with unconcious bodies of the workers. Team Flare didn't seem to waste time when they entered a place. The usual burns were on the bodies which caused Tadashi to clench his fists in anger. His expression couldn't have been anymore pissed off even if he tried. There just seemed to be no end to how cruel these people...no...they didn't deserve that title, they were monsters.

Visibly fuming, Tadashi walked faster towards the stairs only to be nearly blasted with a flamethrower. Had he not avoided it, he would have been burned to a crisp.

"I had a sneaking suspicion that you lot would show your faces," Aliana said with a devilish grin.

"You...you all did this!" Tadashi snarled, his anger levels rising dangerously to what they were during his fight with Tyson.

"Yeah, we did. Like it? It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is for us to do. It's almost unfair really," Bryony giggled.

"Charmeleon, Lucario, come out!" Tadashi called out, sending out the fire lizard who made his usual obnoxious entrance.

Lucario immerged onto the scene. He could sense the angry aura eminating from Tadashi.

'Try to calm yourself...you do remember what happened previously right?' Lucario cautioned, reminding Tadashi of how he lost it on Tyson.

How could he forget, he nearly ordered Lucario to kill the guy. He tried to forget about it, but how could he do that? Tadashi gritted his teeth and slowly breathed in and exhaled.

Clarice looked rather worried when she saw how upset he was. She was scared he'd turn into something she knew he most certainly wasn't. Seeing him calm down brought great relief to her. Sensing her concern, Lucario looked at Clarice for a brief moment, a flash of understanding in his eyes. Clarice smiled gratefully to Lucario. The bipedal dog turned towards his enemies and then looked down at Charmeleon who was glaring at them.

Soon the whole group had their Pokemon at the ready and were staring down a group of about fifteen Team Flare members. A grin crossed Aliana's face as she motioned for one of the grunts to bring her the device. She brandished it before them and laughed at them.

"Sorry kiddies, but I don't have the time of day to play with you. We've got big plans and we don't need them being spoiled by a bunch of kids!" Aliana stated as she powered up what appeared to be a cannon.

Trinity's eyes went wide as she saw what Aliana was going to do. This wasn't part of the plan at all.

'Is she insane?!' Trinity thought as she watched Aliana fire a blast in the direction of their Pokemon, however...something was amiss. The blast, for whatever reason, only hit Charmeleon.

The fire lizard roared as it took a direct hit. Power soon overflowed into his systems and he shot powerful flames from his mouth as a white light engulfed him. The brightness of the light caused Tadashi and the gang to cover their eyes, while Team Flare stood unphased, stupid sunglasses. Remembering he also had a pair, Tadashi put his down over his eyes so he could tolerate what was going on. When the light died down, what Tadashi saw was beyond all explanation.

Standing in place of Charmeleon was a draconic looking Pokemon with primarily orange scales and a cream underbelly. It had large wings that expanded a considerable length with teal undersides. Horn-like appendages stuck out of the tips of each wing. His neck was longer, and there were two dull horns protruding out of his head. The master of the flames had ascended, and soon all would be subjugated to his might. All would tremble before him. This, was Charizard. Tadashi finally had him, his favorite Pokemon.

"What the...Charizard?!" Tadashi exclaimed, turning towards Team Flare who seemed taken aback by this.

It seemed as though the tables had turned on them...at least, they thought it had until Charizard clutched his head and roared in pain. Charizard wheeled around and snarled at Tadashi for some strange reason. It shot a blast of fire at Tadashi but it was quickly intercepted by a bone rush spin technique from Lucario.

"This is bad, Crawdaunt go help them out!" Victor called out.

"You too Wartortle!" Clarice called out, sending her Pokemon out to help as well.

Their efforts proved useless as Charizard loosed a burst of flames upon Lucario, the power knocking him to the ground, struggling for a while before falling unconcious.

Crawdaunt tried to assist with bubble beam, only for it to be blasted away by a dragon rage. The attack pushed through the beam and knocked Crawdaunt away.

Charizard then proceeded to use fire fang on Wartortle and fling him off the railing before blasting him with a heated flamethrower.

"Looks like you've lost control of your own Pokemon. Isn't that just sad? You came all this way just to get attacked by your own companion," Aliana laughed obnoxiously.

Charizard stared hungrily at Tadashi. His head hurt so terribly and it caused him to lose sight of who was a friend and who was an enemy. Tadashi could only back away from his bloodthirsty companion as it moved towards him.

"Charizard, it's me! Tadashi! I'm your friend, don't do this!" Tadashi called out.

'This is too much...if this keeps up, Charizard will destroy the plant and shut down the entire city...and that would MAJORLY set back my plans as well as theirs. Aliana...what were you thinking? Sorry team, but I'm going to have to help these guys out for now...' Trinity sighed as she held Absol's pokeball to the side.

"Abby, let's help them out!" Trinity shouted powerfully, gaining the attention of Team Flare, particularly Aliana who knew who she was.

'What is she doing?!' Aliana thought as she saw Absol come out in a battle ready position.

"Ready Abby?" Trinity said as she looked at her companion.

Abby nodded and Trinity pulled back the strap that concealed the key stone in her glove and revealed it. She then tapped the stone to access its power and raised her fist high into the air. Abby was soon surrounded by a bright light and when it was all said and done, Mega Absol had made her presence known. She looked as though she had sprouted wings only it was just for looks. The spikes on her heels and elbows grew larger and her fur on certain parts of her grew longer. The horn atop its head grew thicker and the tail was now more of a saw rather than a scythe. An additional horn could be seen on Mega Absol's head along with a change in the design of her oval.

"Abby, use swords dance and then go in with night slash!" Trinity commanded.

An aura of swords flared up around Abby and began to spin rapidly. Soon, the swords all clashed together in a resounding 'clang' before Abby took off at great speeds. Unfortunately, due to its berserk state, Charizard acted predicably and fired a devastating flamethrower towards Abby, but being she was expertly trained, she didn't need her trainer to tell her to dodge. She easily maneuvered around the stream and connected a power driven night slash with the mighty draconic Pokemon's chest.

Charizard howled in pain as it was sent crashing to the floor unconcious. Abby turned towards Aliana who had the machine in her hand. One look from Trinity gave her all the information she required. It had to be destroyed. Abby powered up her horn and loosed a powerful psycho cut at Aliana who tossed the machine up and ducked as it was sliced in two, exploding above her with deafening sound.

"All of that effort...all of that work...just for it to be destroyed...just like that..." Aliana said as she looked at some of the remains of the prototype.

"Don't worry about it Aliana...it was a prototype after all...and now that we know that it works and the side effects...we can perfect it..." Bryony said, consoling her fellow scientist.

"I suppose you're right Bryony...though Mable won't be too pleased and Celosia will probably be unhappy. We put a lot of hours into that thing and...we should probably go now..." Aliana stated as she saw that a Steelix was towering over them.

The group of Team flare raced to the opposite side of the plant and out another exit to safety. They did not want to deal with something that could reach them from the floor.

"Well...that was eventful..." Clarice grumbled, looking over at Trinity with an inquisitive look.

"So, you have a Mega Absol, you've been holding out on us Trinity..." Clarice said with a grimace.

"Sorrrry!" She said as she waved her hands defensively.

"I thought it would have been clear that I had a Mega since Gurkinn knew me...ha..ha.." Trinity laughed nervously.

"Well, in anycase...thank you Trinity..." Tadashi said as he stood up from Charizard's side, returning him to his pokeball.

"I'll have to talk with him later to see what that was all about, though I think I know why. I wanted him to evolve but...not in that way..." Tadashi sighed as he placed Charizard's pokeball on his belt.

"Tadashi..." Clarice sighed as she saw him walking down the stairs.

"Come on, we need to see if these people are okay. I'm gonna call Looker and see if he can't get them to the medical center," Tadashi said as he was about to take out his holo caster.

"Already here Tadashi," the familiar voice of Looker called out as he stepped through the hall into the main room.

"Well, I guess you were a step ahead of me, no surprise there Looker," Tadashi smirked.

"Indeed, I see you four drove out Team Flare. That's good...power should be restored to the city by the time you get there. We will take it from here," Looker said as he watched them all walk out.

"Tadashi," Looker called after him.

"Yeah?" Tadashi called back.

"Thank you, you four have my utmost respect...good luck getting your next badge. Oh...and Clarice, your mother wanted me to let you know that she is perfectly safe and that she misses you. She hopes to see you once you get to Lumiose. The meeting will take place tonight so make sure to come to the appointed place which I will tell you soon. For now, take care," Looker stated.

Clarice simply nodded and walked out the door with the rest of them.

Aliana and Bryony walked into the lab where Celosia was sitting, looking through files and sorting out equations for experiments.

"Celosia, did it ever occur to you that...that girl of yours might go rogue? She attacked us and blew up the machine!" Aliana snarled.

Celosia didn't seem the least bit alarmed by this statement as she knew the girl's methods of working.

"I'm sure that it didn't go as you described. Tell me, what went on in there?" Celosia inquired, tilting her head and resting it on her fist as she turned in her chair.

"Well, we decided...that instead of using the machine on our Pokemon...we would test it on our enemies as we had a sneaking suspicion it could injure whatever Pokemon that was forced to evolve rather severely. So...we tested it out on a Charmeleon that the Tadashi boy had and..." Bryony explained, only to be cut off by Celosia.

"So...you blasted Charmeleon, known to be a violent aggressor and even more-so if not properly trained when evolved...and expected it to go without incident? What else happened?" Celosia demanded.

"Well, before she blew up the machine, she took out Charizard. I don't know why because it was about to burn the little brat to a crisp," Aliana said with a grimace.

"Ah, but you see, that is why she did it. It wasn't for them, but it was to save your sorry hides if Charizard was allowed to rampage out of control. Do you know how hot the flames of a Charizard are? It would make a Houndoom's flames look weak. Now, had he gone and blown up the Power Plant, everything, or nearly everything, would be ruined. Trinity did as she saw fit. She wasn't betraying us, she was cleaning up the mess you all started," Celosia grunted.

"However...I applaud you for testing it out on them first. It must have been delicious to see the terror on their faces when Charizard turns on them. I knew I liked you all for some reason. And now that we know it works, we can perfect its design and create a fully evolved army. All of Kalos will kneel before the might of Team Flare!" Celosia stated with a passion in her voice.

"So, with that aside, is everything ready for our next venture?" Celosia asked.

"Of course, our leader was very specific on what he wanted done. Everything will soon fall into place and we'll be one step closer to out goal," Aliana said with a grin.

"And once Trinity takes care of those three, nobody will be able to stop our plans, not even that man..." Celosia said with a smirk.

At the mere thought of Looker they all cringed.

"I do hope you all don't plan to fail..." a rather dark feminine voice called out from the corner of the lab.

The woman had a rather dangerous aura to her. She had long pinkish locks that tumbled past her shoulders. The top of her hair was curled in a bun. She had on a black halter top with form fitting leather pants with checkered holes in them. She wore black heels and had on a pair of thin orange glasses. She was beautiful, yet incredibly dangerous.

"O-of course not, Malva. Everything will go according to plan," Celosia said with a bit of a stutter in her voice.

"They'd better...or you know what will happen if you fail..." Malva stated as she turned and walked out the door, leaving the group of scientists shaken up.

As they were about to enter the city, they saw what they swore was a giant standing at a distance. The giant had the appearance of a disheveled homeless man and had long white locks that went to the middle of his chest. He had on a green scarf, a black sweater with brown arm warmers. He had a key around his neck that was connected to a chain. On his back he carried a rather large backpack.

"The Pokemon... The flower Pokemon... The Pokemon that was given eternal life...where is it? What must I do to meet it?" Was all he said before venturing into the city.

"Did...did you all see that?" Clarice stammered.

"I didn't think people were made that big anymore..." Tadashi said as his mind tried to wrap itself around what he'd just seen.

"Let's just...hope there aren't very many more like him around. I don't wanna be stepped on," Trinity stated nervously.

"I wish he'd stayed still longer...I could have drawn his outline...crap..." Victor sighed, putting his pencil and pad away before following the group into the city.

So it was back to Lumiose. The place it all began, sort of. The place where Tadashi and his friends got their first Pokeball. The place where he ran into Clarice. Memories flooded back to them as he gazed upon the splendor of the city. He still couldn't get over its size. Right now, they weren't there to sight see. They were there to obtain a gym badge, and that's exactly what they were going to do.

_**The gang has finally made it to Lumiose after some trouble in the Power Plant. Charmeleon evolved! But afterwards he went on a rampage, uh oh! But in an unexpected turn of events, it was Trinity and Abby to the rescue. Now they're back in the city and on their way to another badge. One question is on everyone's mind. Who the flubbernugget was that giant?! Find out next time on The Flames of Revolution!**_


	21. Chapter 21

**Why hello again readers! Welcome to another installment of The Flames of Revolution! Now, to those of you who read my note at the bottom, rest assured I already know that everyone knows it's AZ. I meant to add that part before closing but the chapter excited me so much I just said 'screw it, they know who it is.' Anyway, How did you all like the chapter? Tell me your thoughts, I'm dying to know! Anywho, I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do. Now, let's hop right into it! Everybody strapped in? Good, because it's show time! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 21: Still Unruly**

Tadashi and the others had gone off to look around the city for a while. It was getting to be late in the after noon and the sun would be going down at any time. The group determined that perhaps they should wait until the next day to challenge the Gym Leader. Tadashi was glad for that. He still needed to talk to Charizard. Tadashi was glad he'd evolved, but he was disappointed because of the way he evolved. Ever since he was a youth he'd always dreamed of owning a Charizard.

After seeing one in action in the Hoenn League finals that his father took him to, he immediately knew that he wanted one. He'd become borderline obsessed with it. This would explain the pajamas. Let's not even begin to talk about his posters and plushies. Yes, he had some, what of it? Still, now that he finally had one after waiting all this time, he was sad.

Trinity took note of the sad look on his face and had a feeling she knew what it was. She felt partly responsible for it, considering she probably could have stopped the device from firing, saving Charmeleon from evolving before it was his time. Still...she didn't want to interfere anymore than she already had with her team's objectives. Had she taken out the device before it was used, they would accuse her of being a traitor. She certainly wasn't one.

"What's the matter, Tadashi?" Trinity decided to inquire, knowing full well what it was.

"Nothing...I just can't stop thinking about Charizard..." Tadashi sighed, continuing to walk with the group, his eyes a bit downcast as he spoke.

"I see...you're worried that he won't be the same after evolving. That's a legitimate concern to have. I'd feel just awful if something like that happened to one of my own..." Trinity said sympathetically.

In truth, she actually meant what she just said. Her Pokemon meant the world to her, and if one of them got hurt like that, there would be hell to pay. Tadashi faintly smiled as he looked back at her. He did have her to thank for helping him out back there. Her Mega Absol was amazing. He couldn't get over how she managed to knock Charizard out so quickly. She must have put a lot of time into training her. He could tell they shared an incredible bond.

"It's okay Trinity...and thanks for what you did back there. If you didn't jump in when you did, well...I'd be toast," Tadashi laughed softly, getting a faint smile from Trinity.

'I hate to think this...but I guess I have to be thankful to Trinity for what she did. My trust is not so easily gained and can be quickly lost. Had anything happened to Tadashi...no...I don't want to think about it...' Trinity thought as she continued alongside the group.

"So, I guess tomorrow we all battle the Gym Leader. This is going to be fun," Victor said with a bright smile, folding his hands behind his head as he walked.

"I guess..." Tadashi sighed, getting a worried look from Clarice.

'I don't think I've ever seen him this down before...he's really bummed about what happened...' Clarice thought as they all stopped in their tracks. Sitting down at a table was a woman dressed in black, wearing shades. She wore a sun hat that kept her face partially hidden. She was looking around rather nervously, almost as if she was trying not to be seen. Clarice tilted her head slightly as she could swear she recognized the woman.

Her eyes trailed over to a poster on the far wall, making mention of a movie premier and that Diantha, the Champion, was going to be there. The poster showed Diantha in her usual outfit. Clarice soon spotted a glaring similarity. It was the purse she carried in the poster. It was the exact same one as the one the woman had with her. Clarice knew at that moment that this must be Diantha.

She was nearly starstruck. She admired Diantha's grace and the movies she was in were always heartwarming to her. She even had style which accounted for everything in her book. Clarice couldn't help but slowly walk over to her. Tadashi blinked as he saw this. What was she doing?

"Uh...Clarice, where are you going?" He asked curiously, looking over at the woman in question.

"Nit wit...don't you know who that is?" She shot back quietly, doing Diantha a favor so as not disturb her.

Clarice simply motioned to the poster by the wall, ironically right next to Diantha's head. Tadashi's eyes went wide when he realized who it was. He'd seen her battle once before on television. Many a trainer had challenged her for her spot as Champion and like many before her, they couldn't rise to the occasion.

"Look...she looks as though she doesn't want to be bothered, why don't we move along," Trinity said nervously. This wasn't exactly the person she wanted to run into.

In fact she was trying to avoid her altogether. If they made acquaintances with her...well...she couldn't risk that at all. However, her efforts were in vain as Victor and Clarice were already over there.

"Excuse me...Miss?" Clarice said softly, gaining Diantha's attention.

Her eyes shifted to greet Clarice's, a rather confused gaze fixated on her features. Did these people know who she was? If so, it would probably be trouble for her since nearly everyone, and that meant, EVERYONE and their mother wanted a picture with her. She loved the attention at times, when it was appropriate...but all the time wasn't the best. She looked at Victor who had his sketchbook out with a pencil in his hand.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" Clarice asked hopefully.

'Okay...maybe they're just passerby's and don't know who I am. That would be a relief if that were so...' Diantha thought to herself, offering them a pleasant smile.

"Sure you may sit here, I could use some company," Diantha stated, looking past the two in front of her to see Tadashi and Trinity walking over to them.

"Are these friends of yours?" Diantha inquired, getting slightly nervous as they sat down at the table near her.

"Yep, they're all friends...well, one is questionable but I guess you can say she's an acquaintance," Clarice said, looking pointedly at Trinity who laughed nervously.

Clarice leaned in and spoke so only Diantha could hear.

"So...trying to keep yourself from being noticed by the public Diantha? It's kind of hard to do when you carry that purse around...it's the same one as in the poster..." Clarice whispered, causing Diantha to sweat-drop.

"You found me I guess..."Diantha giggled, taking a bite of her food as she sat there.

"So it's as we suspected, I had a feeling it was you," Clarice giggled, happy that she was so close to the Champion.

Diantha laughed softly and then looked down at Victor's drawing. Her eyes grew wide at the portrait of her he was making. How did he even get all of her details so quickly? Freakin' ninja artist. She put her chin between her hands as she looked down at the drawing.

"So, you're an artist are you? You know, that style looks oddly familiar..." Diantha said, catching Victor off guard.

"Er...sorry, yeah, art is kinda my passion. I want to paint and draw all kinds of Pokemon that I run into. Landscapes, battles, you name it, I want to paint it. Yes, even people...my apologies for this...I couldn't resist," Victor blushed.

Diantha giggled at this and simply shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, I'm flattered, really I am. You're a great artist so you should be proud to show your work," Diantha said with a soft smile.

Her eyes shifted from Victor's drawing over to Tadashi. His eyes are what mostly caught his attention. It wasn't his cute face or his style of clothing. His eyes looked troubled. She could tell a lot about an individual through their eyes as they are the window to the soul after all, right?

"Hey, are you alright?" Diantha asked Tadashi curiously, getting him to look her way.

"Err...yeah, I just...have a lot on my mind, that's all," Tadashi sighed, trying his best to smile.

Diantha wasn't buying it. She could tell when something was troubling a person and Tadashi was like an open book to her. His eyes said it all. There was hurt along with a bunch of different emotions swimming around in those two forests of his. She couldn't help but wonder what was the matter. She wasn't going to pry, not yet anyway.

It was getting rather late after all, and the group still needed to check into the Pokemon Center. Tadashi stood up from his seat and turned to head towards the center.

"Hey, where are you going Tadashi?" Trinity inquired, tilting her head slightly as he wandered off.

"I'm...gonna go get checked into the center. It's best to get rooms while we can right?" Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"Okay...we'll catch up later then," Trinity said as Tadashi walked off.

"So it's Tadashi huh? That's a wonderful name...but why is he so said?" Diantha inquired, curious to know the story.

"We'll fill you in later on. It's...sort of a long story," Victor said as he finished up his sketch.

Meanwhile, Tadashi was checking into his room. He closed the door behind him and slowly slid down onto the ground. He took out Charizard's Pokeball and thought about releasing him. He wanted to talk to him to see if he would listen. But since he was in the Pokemon Center, he wasn't going to chance him rampaging in here too.

"I don't know what got into you back there buddy. I know you couldn't control the evolution when it happened, but why did you have to attack me? I'm your friend...I raised you...I'm not your enemy..." Tadashi sighed to himself as he put Charizard's ball away. He still couldn't believe what happened.

It was too much for him to handle. A sigh left his lips as his mind went back to the first time he saw a Charizard. It was at the Hoenn League. He was sitting on his father's shoulders in the stands. Both trainers were all fired up and ready to go. The trainers battled back and forth, fighting for domination until they each had one Pokemon remaining.

And that's when it happened. The one trainer who was put at a disadvantage did the most remarkable thing in Tadashi's eyes. He looked at his pokeball and smiled saying 'I'm counting on you...partner...' and then he threw the pokeball and released one of the most majestic creatures Tadashi had ever seen. Its roar was the signal flare that started his obsession with the Pokemon. Charizard was amazing. And now that he had him...he felt as though he had been gypped.

There was hardly ever a time when Tadashi felt this way. Then again...the only other incident was his father's death which was the worst pain yet. Still, Charizard held a great significance to him because he'd always wanted one. All he could do was get the plush toys. He had the entire evolutionary line in different styles. They all sat on one shelf in front of his bed which happened to have a Charizard blanket.

Tadashi shook his head as he stood up to walk out of his room, his eyes catching the group as they were passing by. Diantha obviously had to leave since she had places to be. He understood.

"Hey guys," Tadashi said with a faint smile, trying to seem like his old self.

"Hey Tadashi..." Clarice greeted, a weak smile crossing over her features as she saw how distraught he still looked.

"Yo, Tadashi, check it out!" Victor cut in, showing the drawing he'd finally completed of Diantha.

"It's going to be a new painting, what do you think?" Victor said with a grin.

"It's amazing Victor, you're really something else you know that?" Tadashi said in a half-hearted manner.

"Tadashi...if you need any help...we're here for you, you know that right?" Trinity stated as she watched Tadashi close his door to head out of the center.

"I know...and thanks you guys. By the way...how'd you all find my door? And how did you manage to get rooms near me?" Tadashi pointed out, wondering how in the world they knew.

"It's easy Tadashi...you're very predictable when it comes to this sort of thing. You always get the room in the middle of the hall. All we had to do was go off of what we knew and sure enough, we were right," Victor chuckled.

"I see...heh, nothing seems to get by you now does it?" Tadashi laughed, starting his walk down the hall.

"Hey, where are you going? You shouldn't just go wandering off like that!" Clarice hollered to him.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm just going for a walk...that's all," Tadashi said with a soft smile.

Clarice's eyebrows twitched in annoyance as he left.

"That guy..." she grumbled, clenching her fist as she breathed in, calming herself down.

"Don't you have something important to do too?" Trinity reminded her.

"Oh you're right! I gotta go, and if Tadashi gets back, slap him for me please..." Clarice grumbled.

"Don't worry, I will..." Trinity smirked, getting a nod from Clarice who ran out the door.

"She totally likes him..." Trinity said with a grin.

"Gee, whatever gave you that impression?" Victor said sarcastically.

"One more word outta you and I'll slap you instead..." Trinity snarled.

"Easy...easy, I was just joking around," Victor said defensively.

It was rather dark on the streets of Lumiose. Tadashi had gone to an alley that was about a block or so from the center. He didn't want to go too far from them incase they needed to find him right away. He heaved a heavy sigh and picked up Charizard's pokeball and looked at it.

"Should I? "Were his only words as he glanced down at it nervously.

He couldn't be certain if Charizard was back to normal or not. There was no telling what could happen. But he had to do this. He had to talk to Charizard face to face. He let the ball fly from his hands. There was no turning back then.

The draconic Pokemon appeared before Tadashi, an irritated expression on his face as if to say 'who dares summon me?' It began to snarl at Tadashi as he made his way closer to the dragon.

"Charizard...what's wrong? It's me, your friend, Tadashi...don't you remember?" Tadashi called to him.

The words seemed to be going in one ear and out the other at this point. Charizard snarled even louder, causing Tadashi to back up out of fear. He wasn't going to return him, not until he reasoned with him. Another step, and Tadashi still didn't move. The great beast reared his head back, gathering flames in his mouth before releasing them towards Tadashi who quickly avoided the oncoming attack. The flames charred the asphalt, leaving a burn mark where Tadashi once stood. Charizard glanced over and saw that Tadashi was still standing and unharmed.

This enraged the draconic beast as he released another stream of flames at Tadashi. Tadashi avoided it again, standing up to look Charizard in the eye.

"Why are you doing this? I'm your friend!" Tadashi called out.

Charizard wasn't going to listen to him at this point. He still felt the pain from the transformation and Tadashi seemed to him, to be to blame. After all, he could have recalled him right? So why didn't he? Charizard, at the moment, couldn't process the situation at all right now. He was too overcome by the pain to be able to remember the battles he'd fought or the fact that Tadashi was his trainer. Charizard opened his mouth to loose another flamethrower straight for Tadashi.

It was quiet over at Looker's place. Claudia was sitting in a chair reading a magazine, like mother like daughter, right? Looker was busy making tea while Claudia flipped the pages of one of the magazines. Looker finished up the tea and brought over two cups for Claudia and himself.

"Thank you, Looker...you're most kind," Claudia said with an endearing smile.

"Thank you Miss Desiree...I do try my best..." Looker said as he sat down with her.

"So...my daughter knows of my circumstances?" Claudia inquired as she sipped some of the tea before setting it down.

"Indeed, in fact she should be on her way right about..." A knock came to the door.

"Right about now actually..." Looker said as he stood up to answer the door.

As he opened, Clarice darted past him in a flash, practically tackle-hugging her mother.

"Momma!" She cried, falling to the floor with her mother beneath her.

Claudia sat up with her daughter sobbing on her dress. She was used to it by now since she did this most nights when her father had scolded her.

"There, there...shhh...it's okay mon ange (my angel). I'm safe, there's no need to cry," Claudia said with a soft smile, keeping tears of her own from spilling out.

"Yes there is...you were almost killed! That wretched man is after you and he won't stop until you're dead! Of course there's reason to cry," Clarice sobbed, hugging her mother tightly.

Claudia didn't know what to say. She hadn't seen her daughter so vulnerable in years. Not since her father left for some other woman. There was a definite change in Claudia. She must have made some good friends. Why else would she be dressing the way she was. It was as if the old Clarice was starting to come back. The more loving, and kind Clarice. What, or who, rather, could have sparked this change? She wasn't sure, but she would figure it out eventually. Right now was not the time however.

"Listen to me mon ange...I am going to be just fine. Looker has been taking good care of me here and has made sure no harm has come to me. I owe him a lot for looking after me. I know how you must feel about your father being part of all of this. Honestly I don't know what I ever saw in that man. After years of being patient with him...he just drops me like a hot potato. I still haven't forgiven him for it, and now he goes and pulls this. Luckily I saw them through the window before they came into the house," Claudia sighed, wiping the tears from Clarice's eyes.

"It'll be okay mon amour (my love). Everything will work out fine and when Team Flare is captured and your father and whoever else is running the operation is behind bars, we can go back to our normal lives. And by normal, I mean you going on adventures like I did at your age," Claudia giggled.

Clarice smiled happily through tearstained irises. She was glad to be in her mother's arms. She couldn't bare the thought of not having her around. It would be the same as someone stabbing her through the chest and twisting.

"So, now that you're here...why don't you tell me all about your journey so far? I am sure you have a lot of exciting news to share do you not?" Claudia asked curiously.

"Indeed I do momma, it's quite a long story so I hope you're prepared to stay up pretty late," Clarice said with a bright smile.

Looker smiled softly as he listened to the conversation. His eyes darted out the window as he saw something that made him stand up immediately.

"What in Arceus's name?!" Looker yelled, seeing Charizard and Tadashi on the street, Tadashi dodging flamethrowers as they came.

Clarice and Claudia both looked out the window to see what was going on.

"Oh no...Tadashi!" Clarice cried, darting to the door to rush outside.

"Clarice, where are you going? Clarice you'll be killed!" Claudia called after her daughter.

She was about to run out when Looker stopped her.

"Stand aside Looker, I have to help my daughter," Clarice said in a stern tone.

"I can't risk you doing that Miss Desiree...it's already dangerous enough for you as it is being in this city. Should you go out there you will expose yourself..." Looker said firmly.

"But my daughter-" Claudia began.

"Is going to be fine. You see that boy? He's the owner of the Charizard. Right now that Charizard has no control over what it's doing. And that boy is doing everything in his power to reach his friend. He's an excellent trainer and I would trust him with my very life. And if I had a daughter as you do...I would trust him with hers too..." Looker said as he turned to watch.

Charizard flew in front of Tadashi, causing him to back up. Tadashi still refused to return him to his ball until he reasoned with him. He wanted his friend back and by Arceus he was going to get him back. Charizard snarled angrily at Tadashi, his eyes giving off a bloodthirsty gaze as he growled at Tadashi.

"Charizard, I'm your friend! Why can't you remember that?!" Tadashi yelled at Charizard, trying to get through to him.

Charizard roared angrily and fired another flamethrower at Tadashi who moved to dodge but fell over, twisting his ankle in the process. He stood up slowly, gripping his ankle in pain as he stared at his furious friend.

"Charizard, stop this!" Tadashi called out.

Charizard wasn't going to listen. He powered up another flamethrower and shot it straight for Tadashi. Before he knew it, Tadashi was tackled out of the way by Clarice. The two tumbled away from Charizard before the attack hit the pavement. Charizard growled as he saw he'd missed his target. He was even angrier that someone had interfered.

"Clarice? What are you-" He was cut off by her slapping him across the face.

"You idiot!" She scolded, glaring at him angrily, grabbing his collar as she sat on his chest.

"This is what you wandered off to do? Reason with this Pokemon who CLEARLY doesn't want to negotiate with you?! Arceus you are so stupid!" Clarice shouted.

"Clarice, watch out!" Tadashi called out, causing Clarice to release his collar, only to see an oncoming fireblast.

Just before it hit, a blast of energy knocked the ball out of the way with great force. Charizard turned and glared at whoever dared interrupt his hunt. He saw a Gardevoir standing there, an intimidating aura surrounding it. Charizard snarled at Gardevoir and sent a flamethrower her way. Gardevoir powered up a shadow ball and sent it straight at the blast, dispersing it and knocking into Charizard with intensity. Charizard struggled to get up but failed as the attack did way too much damage to it. Gardevoir was on a completely different level of strength.

Tadashi looked over to see Diantha standing beside her Gardevoir. But he didn't hear her shout any commands or anything. Could she communicate telepathically with her Pokemon too? Tadashi wondered, turning to sit up so he could get out Charizard's pokeball. He sighed softly and returned Charizard to his ball. He wanted to cry. He felt like there wasn't any point in having Charizard in the party if he wouldn't listen.

"I heard about what happened from your friends. Victor found me and told me everything, and as for Trinity, she had gone to bed from what I understand," Diantha said as she walked over to Tadashi who was still pinned under Clarice. Realizing she was still sitting on him, she blushed and pushed herself off.

Tadashi clutched his ankle in pain and gritted his teeth. If only he had timed his evasion a bit more carefully he could have avoided that. He glanced upwards to see Clarice staring down at him with almost tearstained eyes.

"Idiot..." she nearly cried, kneeling down to hug Tadashi tightly. Tadashi blinked at this. It was the second time that she had done this to him. She wasn't bawling like last time, but she did seem upset at him.

"Sorry...I just..." Tadashi began.

"Wanted to get your friend to listen to you again?" Diantha finished for him.

"Y-yeah..." Tadashi replied, looking back at Clarice who was still holding onto him. She had loosened her grip a little and then struck him in the back roughly.

"Ow! Hey, what was that for?" Tadashi fired at her.

"For being stupid, that's what..." Clarice grumbled.

Tadashi sighed as he looked back up at Diantha. He didn't know what to make of this situation. Aside from Clarice suddenly becoming close to him, and Charizard rebelling, it was all too strange. Oh well, at least he was up close and personal with the Champion. That was definitely something to write home to mom about. Clarice released her grip on him and slowly helped him to his feet. He winced as he felt pressure in his ankle.

"You really shouldn't go pulling stunts like that Tadashi...you're liable to get yourself killed one day," Clarice grumbled.

"I couldn't help it...Charizard needs me..." Tadashi sighed.

"I think there is a way for you to bring him back to your side...though it's a stretch. You're going to need to battle him. Charizard doesn't respect anyone but a strong trainer. However...in this case, since he was evolved prematurely...it's a bit of a different scenario. According to your friends he wasn't acting this way as a Charmeleon as that is when they get the most prideful..." Diantha said as she walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Due to what happened, he's confused. The machine disrupted his mental process and he can't discern who is an ally and who's an enemy. The best way to remind him is with a battle with everything laid out on the table. And if you're going to do it, might I suggest taking it out of the city? If I wasn't here you do realize he would have kept going right?" Diantha said with a serious expression.

"Yes...I know..." Tadashi sighed, looking over at Clarice whose face softened up a little. He knew she was still a little miffed at him, and he didn't blame her.

"Good, now, get some rest you two. Maybe we'll meet again tomorrow or something? You all seem like a fun bunch and I'd like to see more of that special friendship you all share," Diantha said with a soft smile before walking off.

From the window of Looker's place, Claudia couldn't help but smile at what she was seeing. Clarice helped Tadashi limp into Looker's place and sat him down.

"Oh thank goodness!" Claudia said as Clarice came inside. She ran to her daughter and hugged her tight.

"Oh what were you thinking? You gave me such a fright young lady!" Her mother scolded.

"Sorry mom, I had to do it...I couldn't leave my friend out there to get fried," Clarice said with a soft sigh.

"It's okay sweetie, you're safe. And...was that...was that Diantha?! You mean I got to see her in person?" Claudia said excitedly.

'Maybe it was a good thing she went out there after all...no...stop it Claudia, this is your daughter, shame on you!' Claudia scolded herself mentally.

She released Clarice and kissed her cheeks twice before looking over at Tadashi.

"And who is this handsome young man?" Claudia inquired, getting a blush from Clarice.

"This is my friend...Tadashi Misao. He and another named Victor and I have been travelling together for a while now...there's another but she's asleep. Her hame's Trinity..." Clarice said rather sheepishly.

Claudia observed the depths of Tadashi's forest green hues in wonder.

"And he's got good eyes too...you have an eye for quality mon ange," Claudia said with a smile.

"Momma...you're embarrassing me..." Clarice grumbled, her face nearly turning as red as a scizor's coating.

"What? I'm only complimenting him. And you for finding such a friend. You must really care about him to have slapped him that way," Claudia teased.

"Well, he deserved it! It's his fault he nearly got scorched to death!" Clarice snapped back.

Tadashi simply sat there and watched the scene play out. He was too darn tired to even try to get what they were saying. Before long he was drifting off to sleep. The last thing he remembered was being moved into a car alongside Clarice who rested his head on her lap as they drove to the Pokemon Center. When they got him there, the nurses got to work on tending to his ankle and soon were able to get him fixed up. Needless to say, he was half awake during the process. Once that was done, Clarice helped him to his room and closed the door.

"Good night...Tadashi..." Clarice said as she slowly walked away, sighing in a relieved manner. The next day they would all be heading towards the gym to battle the Gym Leader. They did some research to find out what type he used. It wasn't too hard to figure out really. So it was electric Pokemon huh? They needed all the time they could get to prepare for this battle.

_**And there it is! Wow, it looks like Charizard isn't going to take it easy is he? A shout out to PG-13 again for the idea for the previous chapter and a little one for this one. And a shoutout to all of my reviewers for your advice and continued reviews. I highly appreciate this! Even those who simply read and don't review, thank you for reading! So, what will happen next? Will Charizard ever listen to Tadashi? And with the upcoming gym match ahead, he will want him at his side. Find out how it all goes down, next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	22. Chapter 22

**Good evening everyone! The last chapter was pretty intense wasn't it? I couldn't help but look in the reviews and laugh a little. 'Tadrice...' I rather like that ship name. So tell me readers, how are you liking your journey with this dysfunctional group so far? I hope you're having fun! Shoutout to everyone who's been keeping up with the story. It's a joy to read your reviews. Now, I do believe it's time to get down to business. Let the good times keep on coming! Let's get to it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 22: Charizard's Respect, Part 1**

Let's face it, between the events of the previous night and his ankle, Tadashi could hardly sleep. He awoke early that morning, surprised to see that his ankle was bandaged up and that it didn't hurt as badly as it had previously. Before it was unbearable, now it was tolerable...to a degree anyway. His mind still went back to the previous night. He was being hunted down by his very own Pokemon. One he had hoped to obtain one day, and when he finally did, it decided to try to burn him to a crisp. Talk about shattered dreams. He stared at Charizard's pokeball and sighed.

"Charizard..." Tadashi sighed heavily, swinging his legs around so he could slowly place his feet on the ground. He winced a bit as his ankle, specifically his right one, stung a bit.

"Ow..." He grumbled, slowly bracing himself on the desk drawer for support.

Lucario's eyes opened to see him getting up. He sighed to himself and shook his head at his owner.

'You know if you keep putting weight on it, it's going to get worse right?' Lucario reasoned.

'I know that, Lucario...but if I don't walk I won't get anything done. I heal up pretty quick anyway...right now all I need are some pain meds and I should be okay for a while...' Tadashi said as he walked towards the bathroom to take a relaxing shower. He'd undo the wraps first so they wouldn't get wet.

'If you say so...just be careful Tadashi,' Lucario stated with concern in his reply.

'Don't worry partner, I will...' Tadashi replied as he slowly closed the door to his bathroom so he could shower. He deserved it after all he'd gone through.

He turned on the hot water and let it run for a while before stripping down. He stepped into the shower and closed the curtain. It was there that he began to really think about the events that took place. His entire journey was catching up to him at this point. Something still felt odd to him though, and it wasn't Clarice's sudden niceness towards him. He knew she was capable of such things. The issue was with Trinity.

Sure, she was beautiful, happy-go-lucky and fun to be around. But something didn't seem right. She had a Mega Absol and a ton of other evolved Pokemon. FULLY evolved now that he thought of it. She claims she had yet to go on a journey of her own...and yet she had Pokemon with power of that magnitude? That would explain why Gurkinn knew her already. And then there were the times she was not there for the battles. Why was that? He got the feeling that she was hiding something. Either that or it was just him over-thinking it. After all, she saved his tail back at the Power Plant.

Still...he couldn't help but think there was something more to her. He shook the thought from his mind as that was not his main concern at this point. His prime objective was to get the gym badge. But before he could do that...he wanted to get Charizard back to normal. Or at least listening to him again.

He was going to get him back to the way he was no matter what the cost. And he was determined to do it today. His friends weren't up yet which was a good thing too. This way he could slip out without anyone noticing until later on. It was six in the morning by the time he got out of the shower and got dressed. He grabbed his Pokemon after returning them all to their respective pokeballs and walked slowly out the door. He didn't want anyone to notice him. He walked down into the lobby. So far so good, considering the nurse wasn't there yet.

He slipped out into the cool morning city air. There was hardly a soul awake at this hour, which was nice considering what Tadashi was about to do. He was going to make his way back to the Badlands and reclaim the friendship of his Charizard. There wasn't going to be anything that would keep him from reaching his friend.

Unbeknownst to him, a certain someone was an early riser. Diantha came across him as he was leaving the center. Sensing he was about to head to the Badlands, she followed him. She'd already had to save him once, and she would do it again if she had to.

Tadashi made his way through the station, waving to the one in charge of it as he headed up to the windy Badlands. He found a spot that was quite a distance from the city so he could start the process. As he was about to start, it was then that Diantha chose to make her presence known to him.

"I see you've decided to take my advice...I do hope you realize it won't be easy regaining his loyalty...he's still in an infuriated state," Diantha said as she watched Tadashi reach for the danger on his belt.

"I-I know that...but I just...I just have to do this," Tadashi stated as he hit the mechanism on the pokeball to enlargen it.

"Just be careful..." Diantha cautioned as she watched his face dawn a look of deep concentration.

'He must really love his Pokemon...not many trainers would be willing to put themselves in this amount of danger to reclaim that which is precious to them. It seems his friend Clarice even took on that habit as she nearly threw her life away just to protect him. She deeply cares for him, even though her proud demeanor doesn't make it easy for her. Those two are something special...' Diantha thought as she watched Tadashi closely.

"Here we go..." Tadashi said as he gripped Charizard's ball.

"Come out and face me Charizard!" Tadashi bellowed, sending out Charizard so he could fight.

Charizard came out of the pokeball and roared defiantly as he spit flames into the air. He snarled at Tadashi as he saw the dead trainer walking. He was not entirely happy to see Tadashi.

"Listen up Charizard!" Tadashi shouted in a commanding voice. One that caused Charizard to stare at Tadashi as if, for a brief moment, he had heard him.

"Right now you have no clue what's happened to you. And it seems you've forgotten who your friends are. So I'm here to jog your memory!" Tadashi stated loudly and firmly.

Charizard snorted at this speech and roared at Tadashi. He didn't blow any flamethrowers, which was a good thing. Instead he simply snarled at Tadashi in defiance.

"Look Charizard, you were never this difficult as a Charmander, and even as a Charmeleon, although you had your pride, you still listened to me! I don't know if that machine hit you a little too hard with that ray, but I'm going to knock you back to your senses!" Tadashi said as he reached for Braixen's pokeball.

"And here is the first step, Braixen, get to it!" Tadashi said as he threw Braixen onto the field.

Braixen immerged from the ball and stared up at Charizard in wonder. She recognized her friend, but knew immediately that something was off. The look on his face displayed anger and hatred. Braixen shivered a bit in fright, only to look back at Tadashi to see a confident look on his face. That's right, she was Tadashi's Pokemon. She was on a fantastic team. She was safe with him, so why should she worry? She calmed herself down and stared back at Charizard with a penetrating gaze.

"Braixen, right now Charizard needs our help. You see, he's not right in the head right now and we need to knock him back to his old self, are you with me?" Tadashi inquired, getting a nod from Braixen.

"I hope you're ready to battle Charizard! Because like it or not, I will have you back to your old self!" Tadashi shouted.

"Braixen, let's show Charizard what we can do, use psyshock!" Tadashi commanded.

Braixen obeyed and withdrew the stick from her tail and channeled psychic energies into it. However, Charizard wasn't simply going to let her attack him. With a mighty roar he rushed towards her, his claws emitting a bluish glow as he raced towards Braixen. Tadashi's eyes went wide when he saw what the move was. He recognized it anywhere as dragon claw. Braixen fired her attack towards Charizard but it was swiftly evaded through quick maneuvering in the air.

Braixen was in a pinch. Charizard closed the gap rather fast and slammed his claw into Braixen's chest, sending her flying through the air. He then proceeded to rush Braixen, striking a few more times with dragon claw before driving her into the dirt. Charizard stood over Braixen with his foot on her back. Braixen was howling in pain. All of it soon ended as Tadashi recalled her.

'Man he's strong...' Tadashi thought to himself as he clipped the injured Braixen's pokeball back onto the belt.

"As I thought, you're very strong! But even one's strength can become their downfall! Let's go Marowak!"Tadashi called out, sending forth the bone wielder.

Marowak stared down Charizard with an intimidating expression that portrayed confidence and nervousness all at once. For one, Charizard had the advantage. Ground type moves didn't work on it so this would be a major issue.

"Marowak, let's get our friend back on our team! Rush in with thrash!" Tadashi called out.

Marowak twirled its stick around before rushing towards Charizard, aiming to slam him around with his bone. Sadly, this would not be the case. Charizard was faster than Marowak was by far and thus ended up connecting a dragon claw to his skull, sending him flying back across the grass. Charizard then reared his head back and shot a flamethrower Marowak's way.

"Spin your bone to block it!" Tadashi ordered.

Marowak quickly got up and spun his bone like a windmill, deflecting the flames away from his body.

'Astounding...I don't think I've ever seen a Marowak do that in a long time. Tadashi must have really trained it well," Diantha stated as she watched the fight continue.

"Charge in with thrash again!" Tadashi ordered. Marowak ran towards Charizard, swiping at Charizard who began to evade each slash of the bone. One strike eventually hit him and knocked him back. Angry, Charizard retaliated by blasting Marowak with a flamethrower, sending him into the dirt, out cold.

"Great job Marowak...rest up buddy!" Tadashi said as he returned him to the pokeball.

"So, Charizard, are you having fun yet?!" Tadashi said with a smirk.

Charizard roared angrily at Tadashi and shot a flamethrower into the air. As far as Charizard was concerned, Tadashi seemed like a weak trainer. This was something he did not like. Even though he was not himself, Charizard still had his instincts. If Tadashi was truly his trainer, his 'friend' as he so claimed to be, he was going to have to prove it.

"I find it odd how you quickly forgot about the time we spent together on our journey Charizard! You immediately attacked me and our friends. It was as if you lost all sense of who and what you were, but I'm going to change all of that. Let's go Kirlia!" Tadashi shouted, sending out the first Pokemon he'd ever caught.

"So he's got a Kirlia...my, my...now that takes me back..." Diantha said to herself as the battle raged on.

Charizard wasted no time with charging Kirlia. He powered up his claws and rushed towards her, aiming to land a powerful dragon claw that he thought, would do some damage. Sadly, he was wrong as the attack hit some unseen force, causing him to recoil it. Here was a problem. The first one he'd encountered after two easy victories. Dragon claw didn't work.

"Not easy is it? If you still remembered that I'm your trainer, you would know that dragon claw won't work on Kirlia...and now you're gonna pay for it! Kirlia, use psychic!" Tadashi called out with a powerful shout.

_**And the first part of two comes to a close. Charizard may be winning, but now he's stumbled upon an obstacle. After a mistake in attacks, which he should have known better, but due to his state of mind, forgot, he is now facing down Kirlia. How will the battle play out? At least Charizard quit attacking Tadashi. Find out next time on The Flames of Revolution!**_


	23. Chapter 23

**Welcome back viewers! I really hope you enjoyed the last chapter because here comes part two! Tadashi figured that there was no other way to get through to Charizard but to battle it. After taking Diantha's suggestion he decides to take it to the Badlands. Diantha just happened to be awake to follow him out there. Tadashi's friends don't have a clue yet. Sit back everyone because it's about to get heavy! Got your popcorn still? Okay, hold on tight because here. We. Go!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 23: Charizard's Respect, Part 2**

"Kirlia, use psychic!" Tadashi called out powerfully as Charizard raced towards him with another attack.

Kirlia balanced herself and glared at Charizard, psychic energies filling her body as she transferred a weightless feeling over to the unsuspecting lizard. The pain he felt from this assault only worsened the pain he'd already felt in his head. Kirlia shifted her eyes down into a plie (prounounced plee-yay), causing Charizard to be slammed harshly into the ground.

Charizard thrashed around a bit before getting up and roaring irritably at Kirlia. So far she'd proven to be more of a challenge than the other two were. Perhaps it was the fact that one of his abilities had no effect. He snarled indignantly at the little dancer and was determined to see her downfall. Kirlia, however, remained undeterred. Charizard let loose a powerful flamethrower towards Kirlia.

"Kirlia...double team!" Tadashi ordered, causing Kirlia to duplicate herself at a rapid pace in a manege (mah-nez, a circular fashion) around Charizard, avoiding the blast entirely.

Charizard was getting irritated and yet excited at the same time. He growled low at Tadashi and then looked at all the copies of Kirlia that were pestering him. As far as he was concerned, Kirlia was a gnat waiting to be squished between his claws.

"You know...you're not going to catch her if you keep making stupid mistakes like that. And to think I trained you better than that..." Tadashi called out to Charizard, causing him to snarl angrily at Tadashi.

How dare he say that to him. Who did this little insect think he was? All Charizard knew was that he was going to barbeque him before this day was over. But first, he needed to deal with the current problem. Charizard hated to admit it, but Tadashi was right. He wasn't going to hit Kirlia at all if he couldn't think straight. But the pain he was feeling right now didn't allow for much. Charizard had sweat coming down the side of his face as he looked around at all the copies. In a brief moment of clarity, he closed his eyes and began to feel out Kirlia's movements. She was fast, that much he knew. Her elegance was unmatched and her form was nearly flawless. He could hear her steps racing around her until all sound but the real Kirlia, was blocked out. His eyes flashed open at this point. He had her now.

Charizard roared and sent a flamethrower straight through the doubles and directly at the real Kirlia. She was thrown off by this sudden assault and wasn't able to avoid it in time. She took the blast full force and was sent flying back.

"Kirlia!" Tadashi called out, watching the dancer stumble as she got up.

Kirlia looked up to see Charizard racing towards her with his jaws open. He grabbed Kirlia and threw her across the ground after a quick fire fang. He then loosed a flamethrower on her, sending her into the dirt in a flaming heap. The fire died down and Kirlia lay unconscious. Charizard roared triumphantly as Tadashi returned Kirlia to her ball.

A sigh escaped his lips as he was now down three. His plan seemed to be working however, and now it was Tyrunt's turn. Tyrunt still hadn't evolved yet so this was going to be a bit of a problem. And with Charizard knowing dragon claw, Tyrunt was going to have a heck of a time. Tyrunt did have type advantage however, which was a nice bonus.

"Let's go Tyrunt!" Tadashi called out as he sent forth the little chomper.

Tyrunt roared as he was brought forth onto the battle field and stomped his feet rapidly. He then turned and glared at Charizard who snarled right back. Charizard analyzed Tyrunt, mostly his powerful jaws and took note that he needed to be wary of those. With an enraged roar, Charizard took off towards Tyrunt with a dragon claw right off the bat.

"Tyrunt...use ancient power!" Tadashi called out.

Tyrunt channeled the many millennia worth of energy through his body, surfacing it as he stomped onto the ground, beckoning stones to his bidding. The stones, like his body, were surrounded in crimson energy. As Charizard got close, he fired them off in a volley, hitting Charizard dead on and knocking him back.

Charizard really felt that blow as it was a super effective strike. He got up and looked at Tyrunt with an expression that could only be described as confusion. Here was this little dino-dragon with incredible strength, and here he was, a rampaging fire powerhouse who could easily rend this creature to shreds. And yet...he just got owned. Tyrunt lowered his head and stamped his feet, almost daring Charizard to come at him again. Charizard couldn't help it. He wanted the challenge. He roared and stood up to his feet, still feeling the effects from the last attack as he glared at Tyrunt.

'It looks like Charizard is seeing Tyrunt as another challenge. Good...because that's what I plan to give him. Whatever the heck is causing him to act this way, I'm sure he can overcome it if he just remembered who I was and what he means to me...' Tadashi thought as he stared Charizard down.

Charizard growled softer as he looked at Tadashi. Although his head was screaming, his mind was starting to function properly again. The effects of whatever Team Flare used on him were starting to wear off a little. Tadashi wasn't as weak a trainer as he had first thought. He'd proven that much when Kirlia came out and thumped him a little. And now Tyrunt blasted him away with ancient power. It was beginning to become clear that Charizard needed to be trying harder. The great lizard roared powerfully and took off towards Tyrunt, his claws glowing azure as he did so.

"You just don't learn...do you? Tyrunt, use rock tomb!" Tadashi called out, causing Tyrunt to call upon his inner strength once again.

Before Tyrunt could do this, Charizard launched a flamethrower at Tyrunt who looked up in surprise. The attack washed over him, causing him to close his eyes and wince in slight pain. But the real pain would come when he was sent flying back from a dragon claw into Tadashi, knocking them both back and injuring Tadashi's left arm. Tyrunt was knocked out now. Tadashi flinched as he tried to move his arm but it was in pain and numb. Tadashi wasn't exactly in the best condition at this point, and Diantha was beginning to wonder if she should step in. She was about to act when she saw him reach for his last pokeball.

"Things are rough out here partner...and I have a feeling you want to pay your friend back for what he did back at the Power Plant. So, it's up to you...I'm counting on you to bring our friend back!" Tadashi said as he threw Lucario's pokeball onto the field.

Lucario surged onto the battlefield, landing on one knee before rising up and staring down the great fire beast himself. Diantha looked puzzled at this notion. While dragon type moves didn't do much against a steel type, Charizard was a fire/flying type giving him an advantage over the fighting/steel that was Lucario. So why would Tadashi use him? It was then, that she saw Tadashi reach down and undo the strap over his glove, revealing a key stone. Her eyes went wide as she realized what was about to happen.

"Let's show Charizard what we can do!" Tadashi stated as he lowered his right arm so that the stone is under his fingers and pressed it with his left forefinger.

He then raised his fist high in the air, a bright blue aura blazing about him, kicking up dust as Lucario's aura manifested itself. Soon, Mega Lucario was born. Charizard remembered how easily he took out Lucario the first time. But after seeing this new development, he began to feel some uncertainty. Charizard's tail flame began to burn a little brighter as he saw the raw power that Mega Lucario had. He began to calm down a little more, in spite of the splitting pain in his head.

'It seems like he's still under the effects...but I can tell he's trying to break out of it...' Lucario called to Tadashi.

'Yeah, I know. He's struggling a lot right now. But he needs this...if we can get him to remember who he is and who we are, there is a chance he will come back to us. He respects power, that's why I saved you for last. Right now, you're my only Mega...but when this is all said and done...we'll be able to add another to the team,' Tadashi said with a smirk.

'I'd love to see that...for now, let's get our friend back...' Lucario smirked.

'Oh I plan on it...' Tadashi grinned.

Clarice was just waking up that morning after a nights rest. She slept fairly well, considering that Tadashi was almost set on fire. Honestly it would have served him right to get a little singed for being so stupid.

"That moron..." Clarice muttered, holding her hand to her beating heart.

Before, all she used to do was belittle him and his accomplishments and do nothing but put him down. Now? Every time she thought about him, she couldn't keep her heart from racing. Just what was happening to her? She liked and didn't like the feeling. She liked it because it was a better sensation than the irritation she'd experienced before. She didn't like it because it was a change she couldn't explain. She sighed heavily as she got up to take a bath, stripping down and stepping into her bath robe before going into the bathroom to run the water. She sat down on the seat of the toilet and pulled out a magazine while the water ran for her bath.

It was a fashion magazine of course, but there were also musician articles which she loved to read. She dreamed of one day being able to have her own feature in a magazine. A smile crossed her visage as she daydreamed of being on stage, singing her heart out. For some reason, Tadashi was with her playing guitar and harmonizing with her. A blush came over her features as she quickly closed the magazine. Seeing that the bath was done, she let the robe fall from her curvacious form and stepped into the bath tub, sinking down into the hot water with a contented sigh.

Victor was now awake and furiously working on his painting of Diantha, because screw sleeping. He'd taken a little rest for about five hours before getting up to work on his next piece. He was going to enter the Bagon painting into the museum today but he also wanted to show this piece of the Champion as well. He redesigned the concept and showed Diantha with an outstretched hand while standing in an upright commanding stance. Her mouth was open as if issuing a command. He added in Gardevoir as the painting didn't seem complete without her.

Having finally added the finishing touches to his work, he was thoroughly satisfied. Now he could shower up and strategize for his gym battle with Clemont. He knew that this was going to be a rough battle due to the experience he heard this particular Gym Leader had. He had an idea of who his team would be however, so he wasn't entirely worried.

Trinity was also just waking up at this hour. Abby was asleep at the edge of the bed as usual. Sometimes she kept Trinity warm at night by curling up next to her. It was a cute sight to say the least. She awoke, knowing that she had a duty to fulfill. She still had to keep track of the group so that she could take them out. Her holo caster began to beep just as she had taken off her night shirt. A grumble escaped her lips as she tapped the button on the holo caster to see who it was that was bugging her before she showered.

A projection of Celosia appeared before Trinity with a quizzical expression. Trinity simply rolled her eyes at the sweat dripping from Celosia's forehead. She knew why she was staring. What? It's not like she could hide them or anything.

"Well?" Trinity said impatiently, awaiting Celosia's reply.

"Well good morning to you too Trinity, I trust all is going smoothly?" Celosia inquired.

"Yeah, everything's going as planned. Before they get to Lavarre City, I'll start picking them off..." Trinity said with a smirk.

"Actually, I have a new angle for you to approach this with. What you've done so far is good. They seem to trust you a little more. But it appears that Xerosic has other plans, as does our leader. You know how Lysandre can be when he sees an opportunity he can't resist," Celosia giggled.

"Okay...so what's your point? What am I doing now?" Trinity inquired.

"You, my dear little assassin, are going to capture them instead. Lysandre wants them locked up so they can watch the destruction first hand. Xerosic wanted them dead but Lysandre is no barbarian. Being of noble bloodline has its advantages. He's not a cruel man, he just does what he sees fit to be done to renew this world," Celosia said with a smirk.

"So now it's a trapping mission huh? I guess I won't need to be worrying too much about my timing on this then...I assume the preparations for the next operation are in motion?" Trinity inquired.

"Of course, those fools won't know what hit them, and once that little trio is put in their place, there will be nobody left to stop us. Not even Looker can stop us. He can bring an army of police and it still wouldn't match the might at our backing. We do have 'it' after all..." Celosia grinned.

"Y-you mean you all found it? When...er...how?" Trinity asked with a bead of sweat trickling down her visage. She was both excited and nervous now.

"It wasn't hard, we just followed the energy and it led us straight to it. All is coming full circle Trinity," Celosia said with a soft smile.

"This is great!" Trinity said quietly, but excitedly.

A jubulant expression was now fixed on her features. She was now determined to do this more than ever.

Mega Lucario and Charizard were getting worn out. Their battle had raged on for the longest time and neither were giving an inch. Both of them knew that sooner or later, they would run out of steam. The only question was, when? Lucario stared Charizard down with determination. Charizard had slowly won his battle with the pain in his head as he was beginning to come back to his senses. Images of battles ran through his mind. Masquerain...Amaura...Gogoat...to name a few. They were all beginning to flood back into his memory. Commands. He remembered them well. He could see Tadashi giving the orders with a confidence that would not be shaken. Victory. Defeat. It was all there, spelled out for him.

Tadashi could see the concentration on his face and knew he was struggling inside. He saw the look of concentration on his face and knew he must be trying to fight the pain.

"Keep trying Charizard!" Tadashi called out to him, bringing the realization of the revelation to light.

Charizard glared at Tadashi for a moment before turning to him. He growled angrily, not because he disliked Tadashi, but because he was still trying to get over the pain. Also, he'd been forced to evolve. A real trainer would have taken a stand against it. Why didn't he?

"I know you're probably angry and confused right now. I know I should have pulled you out of the way...but I had no clue what they were going to do! It wasn't until the attack hit you that I realized what they had done. Team Flare overloaded your systems with power to force you to evolve. THEY did this...and I didn't stop it. But we can fix that Charizard. We can't redo your evolution but there is something we can do. We can take down Team Flare, together!" Tadashi said with a determined gaze.

There was definitely power behind those words. Charizard could feel it. He wasn't sure how, but for some reason he knew he could trust this trainer. His body was becoming exhausted and he could tell his opponent was wearing down as well. If it were a normal Lucario, Charizard could have trounced him by now. But this was Mega Lucario, and he was a pain to put down. This wasn't so easy anymore. He'd gotten worn down by Kirlia and Tyrunt. Now he was facing a supercharged Lucario.

Charizard roared and raced off towards Mega Lucario swiftly, opening his mouth to fire a flamethrower towards him. Mega Lucario simply stood his ground and awaited orders.

'Aura sphere...' Tadashi commanded, getting a nod of understanding from Mega Lucario.

Mega Lucario powered up the latent aura in his body between his palms. As the flames drew closer he fired the blast directly into the flames. The attacks canceled one another and an explosion resounded.

'Move in with extreme speed!' Tadashi ordered, causing Mega Lucario's body to practically vanish due to the speed he was moving.

Charizard was caught off guard by this sudden new development. The battle had been going at a rather fast pace. Mega Lucario hadn't used this move up until now. Tadashi must have been saving it until now. Mega Lucario appeared in a flash and drop kicked Charizard on the head, sending him spiriling down towards the ground, crashing into the dirt with brutal force.

Charizard struggled to get up, staring back at Mega Lucario with new respect. A smirk crossed the features of the proud lizard as he saw he'd met a powerful opponent. Tadashi noticed this and couldn't help but smile. Diantha, who'd been there watching was also smiling as she could feel that Charizard was starting to recognize that Tadashi is indeed a worthy trainer. She could also tell that the effects of the machine weren't bothering him so much anymore. Sure, they would still bug him once in a while until his strength caught up with him, but that wouldn't be too much of an issue.

'Ready, partner?' Tadashi asked his Mega Lucario.

'Ready...' Mega Lucario replied.

"Then let's bring back our friend!" Tadashi shouted in a commanding voice.

Charizard was now ready. His determination to win was back in his eyes along with something else that wasn't there before. Understanding. He understood now that this trainer was strong and worthy of his power. He realized that something had indeed gone wrong as the pain in his head was unnatural. Win or lose this battle, he had been pushed to the limit. This would be the final assault. It all rode on this next attack.

Charizard roared and raced off towards Mega Lucario, his jaws open for a flamethrower which he fired quickly.

'Dodge and use force palm to end it!' Tadashi called out.

Mega Lucario expertly twisted in the air above Charizard and brought his palm down onto Charizard's head, offsetting the pain with his aura before sending him spiriling down from the aftershock of the attack. Charizard hit the ground with a devastating impact and couldn't get up as easily as before. He was struggling to push himself up. He realized that it was futile however, but still tried anyway.

Tadashi had been singed a little by the attack that missed Lucario. The flames had barely grazed his right shoulder which stung a lot. Tadashi didn't care though. He slowly limped over to Charizard who was looking at him differently now. Tadashi nearly stumbled but was caught by the hand of Diantha who had been watching. Tadashi looked up at her in surprise, as if he didn't realize she was there.

"Well done Tadashi..." Diantha smiled, pulling him up to support him.

"Thanks...were you watching that entire time?" Tadashi inquired, wondering just how long she'd been there.

"Yep...and I must say that you are one incredible trainer. You've got heart...I'd love to battle you myself one day..." Diantha said with a smile as she helped him over to Charizard.

Lucario was now back to normal and standing beside Tadashi as he looked down at Charizard.

Tadashi slowly reached out his hand for Charizard to sniff, just like he did with the Pokemon in his yard and like he did for Braixen when it was just a Fennekin. Charizard sniffed Tadashi's hand and his scent became familiar again. This sudden realization caused Charizard to look away in shame. He could remember everything he'd done and it wasn't exactly a proud accomplishment after the Power Plant. He'd almost killed his trainer. He felt unworthy at this point.

"Hey...it's okay...I know how you must feel. You and I are the same you know? We both have a temper that flares up every now and again. I was like you were at one point, in no control of my actions and I too almost did something I would later regret. But that's over and done with now...I've moved on, though I still haven't forgotten it. But that's just what we do. We grow and learn from our mistakes. So what do you say, Charizard? Partners?" Tadashi said, holding out his hand.

Charizard stared at it for a long time, contemplating what he should do. It finally dawned on him. He belonged with this trainer, to Tadashi. He needed to make amends for what he'd done and that was going to take a while. Charizard placed one of his claws in Tadashi's hand and shook it. Tadashi couldn't have been any happier. He wrapped his arms around Charizard's neck, tears spilling down his neck.

"I'm sorry Charizard...I'm sorry I let that happen to you. I was a fool...and I should have been more careful!" Tadashi cried, holding tightly to Charizard's neck.

Charizard looked down at Tadashi, sympathy forming behind those sapphire hues as his trainer wept. It seemed that the two resonated with one another which made them even more compatible than they already were. They were meant to be a team. Charizard lowered his muzzle and nuzzled Tadashi affectionately, causing Tadashi to look up at Charizard with tearstained eyes. Tadashi wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled softly at him.

"Welcome back...partner..." Tadashi said with a soft smile.

Partner. Charizard liked the sound of that. Tadashi got up slowly, Diantha supporting him so he could stand.

"Ready to go take on a Gym?" Tadashi inquired, getting a nod from Tadashi.

"But before we do...there's something I need to give you.." Tadashi smirked.

Clarice and the rest of the gang began to worry. They hadn't heard Tadashi get up and more importantly he hadn't responded when they knocked. They ran downstairs to check with the nurse to see if she'd seen anything but she said that she didn't.

"Crap...where could he have gone?!" Clarice snarled.

"Not sure, but if he's in trouble, he needs our help," Victor stated firmly.

"Wait...I think I remember something...Diantha mentioned something about him taking the fight with Charizard out of the city. That must be it!" Clarice said as she ran towards the door.

"Wait...what's going on?" Trinity asked, a bit confused at what just happened.

"I'll explain later, right now we've got an idiot to save!" Clarice shouted back, darting out onto the streets only to stop and stare at the sight she beheld.

Diantha was shouldering Tadashi as he was limping beside her. He had a fresh set of injuries including a burn on his shoulder. Her eyes widened in shock at what she saw next. Charizard was actually walking beside him. He wasn't enraged anymore. He seemed perfectly calm. More importantly, he had a mega stone on him which meant he'd let Tadashi near enough to put it on him. Her eyebrows narrowed at this sight. Not because Charizard seemed obediant now, but because Tadashi acquired new injuries.

She stormed towards him, fury in her eyes as she got close to him. She raised her hand to slap him but then stopped, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing his neck as she held him.

"How stupid are you?! Seriously...are you trying to worry me?!" Clarice growled.

That word, 'me' was the significant word in that sentence. She wasn't concerned at that point, with him worrying the rest of them. No, she was concerned with him worrying her. She released him and decided to slap him anyway for good measure.

"Idiot..." She said, finally smiling even though she was mad at him.

Tadashi grunted at the new pain in his face. He hoped it didn't leave a mark, because she hurt. Victor looked over at Charizard with a grin on his face.

"So he's back is he? Looks like you've got a full team again," Victor laughed.

"I never lost a teammate to begin with, he was just confused and forgot whose side he was on...but thanks to the team, we were able to bring him back," Tadashi said with a wince.

"Diantha, did you help out?" Victor inquired.

"Hmm? No, no, he did this on his own. I simply watched. He fought valiantly and the two overcame the trial together. It was a treat to watch," Diantha said with a soft smile.

Trinity looked on at the scene with a soft smile on her face. Inside, however, she was troubled. A Mega Charizard was a HUGE problem. If its flames couldn't already melt anything to ashes as he was, a Mega form would be overkill. He would be a major issue should Tadashi be allowed to grow stronger. She knew that soon, she would need to act. It was almost time. She had their trust, she had their backing. It was only a matter of time before she got what she wanted. For now, she'd play the role of their friend a while longer.

"Glad to see you're okay Tadashi," Trinity said with a chuckle.

"You look like you could use a bath and some medical attention though, you stink..." Trinity said, plugging her nose in disgust.

The rest of the gang laughed at what Trinity said, including herself. Tadashi had won a great victory today and the gym battle was right around the corner. The noon sun was high in the sky and they would soon be heading to the gym for the battle. But not before Tadashi had his wounds taken care of. He would need some time to recover before he could battle. This worked in favor of Team Flare as a major threat was crippled for a bit. Still, the threat that was Victor still loomed over Trinity.

She knew that she wouldn't be able to figure out how to break him easily. She still needed to do it though. She just needed to figure out how. Either way, she was going to have the lot of them put down by the time this was over. For now, she remained unsuspected. But how long would that last?

Tadashi was soon brought to the medical center and tended to, while the others waited for them to finish bandaging him up and giving him medication to numb the pain. They refused to go to a battle until He was able to go with them. That was just how strong their friendship had become.

_**And now the King of Flames is back on track with Tadashi! Yay! Now he has two Mega's that he will be able to use. He will switch between each member that can Mega Evolve from time to time. But now Tadashi is injured and needs to rest a while before he is able to battle. How long will that take? Only one way to find out. Next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello again everyone! Mango here with another update! Before we get to that, tell me readers, what did you think of the last chapter? What could I have done differently? What did I do well? Let me know in the reviews. I am excited about this as you can tell. Thank you to everyone who has been reading. Anywho, time to get started! Fasten your seatbelts because here. We. Go! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 24: A Renewed Vigor**

Tadashi had been in the medical center bed for at least four days. His injuries were slightly severe considering what he went through. Little or not, Tyrunt weighed 57 pounds. And on top of that he was solid rock mixed with dragon. That just added to his density. And having that crash into your arm isn't something easily recovered from. His ankle was getting better, which was a good thing considering he needed to be able to walk if he was to get to the gym. His right shoulder had a gauze patch over it and there were wraps down his right arm over the other burns. Tadashi was a mess to say the least. His left arm, luckily, didn't break completely. They put it in a cast still but it wasn't one of those uncomfortable ones that covered the entire arm.

Tadashi would have been so irritated with that. The doors to the room opened to reveal the Clarice standing in the center of Trinity and Victor. A smile crossed Tadashi's visage as he saw them.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Tadashi asked curiously.

"Oh, it's alright, just waiting for you to hurry the heck up and heal so we can do our Gym Battle. How long are you planning to make us wait?" Clarice grumbled.

"Well, it's not like I have a choice in the matter. You try getting hit by an oncoming ankle biter weighing about the same as a small boulder and see how fast you heal..." Tadashi spat back.

Clarice muttered something to the effect of 'idiot,' but Tadashi couldn't make out whatever else she was saying.

"You two...reeeeeally need to get a room already..." Victor teased, bringing his hands behind his head. He doubled over in pain as he was elbowed by Clarice.

"Say that again and the only room anyone will find themselves in is this one...got it?" Clarice said with an irritated growl.

"And that's why we love you so much..." Victor grunted.

Clarice huffed and looked away from him, her gaze falling back to Tadashi with concern. It had been four days already. He was cooped up in here while she and Trinity went clothes shopping and Victor just sketched everything in sight. She wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be the next Tracey Sketchit.

Tadashi sighed as he looked back at her. They had a confusing friendship ever since they started out. They were still rivals, but there was something deeper brewing. He couldn't quite place it just yet. Maybe it was the fact that he was still in pain...or maybe he was just too much of a Slowbro to figure it out. Either way, it still didn't compute. The nurse walked in at that point, smiling to the group as she saw him.

"You know, you four have to be the most tightnit group I've ever seen. It's been a while since I've seen friends this close," the nurse said with a soft smile.

Trinity smiled nervously, though nothing could shake the feeling she had. She had a job to do and by Arceus she was going to do it. She was going to save her sister and it all depended on bringing these three down.

"We are a pretty close group aren't we?" Victor said with a chuckle.

"Well...I wouldn't quite put it that way, but we have come a long way," Clarice said proudly, folding her arms as she nodded.

"You really know how to kill a moment don't you?" Trinity remarked, getting a glare from Clarice.

"Hey now, I didn't mean anything by it..." Trinity said while waving her hands defensively.

"Well Tadashi, let's see how well you're doing," The nurse said as she began to give Tadashi a checkup.

"Your wounds are healing themselves fairly quickly. I was sure you'd be in here for at least a week or two...but it looks like you have a body that heals rather quickly. Your ankle is completely fine and your arm is much better. I still recommend keeping the cast on for safety's sake. And as for your burns, those will take a while so be careful," The nurse said with a bright smile.

"Does this mean he can come with us?" Clarice asked hopefully.

"I don't see why not. He can walk better now so he should be fine. He just needs to take it easy and not do anything stupid..." she said, giving Tadashi a stern look.

Tadashi laughed nervously and looked towards Clarice who smirked at him. He deserved a little scolding. To her, Tadashi was a reckless idiot. But...he was her friend. And she cared for him more than she thought she ever would.

Trinity was smirking at him also, but for different reasons altogether. Tadashi still was unaware of the dangers of having her around. The group had their suspictions, but she had proven thus far to be a worthwhile teammate and companion. Perhaps they were just on edge after the constant Team Flare attacks. Still, they weren't going to let their guard down. Team Flare was still out there and needed to be dealt with.

Tadashi was relieved at the news, as was Clarice and Victor, even Trinity. Although she was after them, she was still human after all right? She still experienced sympathy once in a while. Part of her, yes...part of her was glad he was okay. Tadashi got up from the bed and stood up. He was wearing a hospital gown. He needed to change out of that of course.

The nurse had taken the liberty of washing his clothing and even patching up the hole that was created in his favorite jacket. Tadashi smiled faintly as he took his cherished attire. The nurse couldn't put her finger on it but she could have sworn she'd seen that attire somewhere other than on Tadashi. Images of watching the Hoenn League finals years ago flashed through her mind, but only briefly.

Tadashi looked at his friends as if to say, 'do you mind?' The three got the message, Trinity giving a playful grin as usual. The three withdrew themselves from the room. The nurse helped Tadashi into his attire, considering his right arm was still painful to move, as was his left. The outfit was soon back on its owner and Tadashi was able to walk out of the room with his team in tow. He placed the sunglasses back over his head and draped the necklace around him, wincing as he moved.

It was finally time for him to battle. Needless to say, he was grateful to his team for waiting. As usual, Trinity wandered off. She said she had a few errands to run and clothes to shop for, again. Clarice and Victor found it strange, but every time she came back with new stuff. Just how much money did she have? And more importantly, where did she get it all? All of these questions were raised as they headed to the gym.

Sitting outside of the gym was a little girl with a small rodent-like Pokemon. Tadashi, curious, reached for his pokedex and pointed it at the creature.

"Dedenne, the Antenna Pokemon. Dedenne communicates long distance with other Dedenne by sending radio waves through its antenna-like whiskers," the pokedex explained.

"An electric mouse in other words..." Tadashi said, knowing that he'd seen plenty of them before.

The little girl turned around to see the group heading towards her and a smile appeared on her face. The girl had blond hair and was wearing a brown dress with a white frilly bottom attached to it. Her shoes were pink. Her eyes were a brilliant blue. She skipped over to the group and looked up at them.

"Are you three here to challenge my big brother?" The little girl asked curiously, her eyes darting to Clarice at that moment.

Her eyes practically sparkled at how beautiful Clarice was. The group exchanged glances before looking back to the girl.

"Yep, though we had to wait a bit because SOMEONE decided to get hurt!" Clarice said, looking directly at Tadashi.

"Aww, are you okay?" The little girl asked, hoping he wasn't too badly hurt.

"Yeah, I'm alright, don't worry..." Tadashi said with a faint smile, reassuring the little girl he was alright.

"Okay, just making sure!" She chirped.

"Now, you," she said, pointing to Clarice.

Clarice blinked as she was addressed and looked down at a determined look in the little girl's eyes.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" She asked seriously, causing Clarice's eyes to widen a bit in shock.

"N-no...why do you ask?" Clarice asked nervously.

"Perfect..." The little girl grinned.

"You can marry my big brother!" She said, getting on one knee and raising her hand up to her.

"Eh?!" Clarice said, recoiling at the girls actions.

"Bonnie! How many times have I told you not to do that!" A voice cried out. At that point, a mechanical arm reached out and grabbed her, pulling her back to a young boy with blond hair and circular glasses. He wore what looked like a blue engineer outfit or something.

"But big brother, I'm just trying to help!" Bonnie pouted.

"I told you to stop that. I'll find someone on my own!" The boy said sternly, an embarrassed look on his visage as he turned to the group.

"Hi, sorry about all of that...my sister always tries to marry me off to any random girl she thinks is pretty. I don't think she understands the concept of there needing to be trust and companionship first before any of that is to occur," The boy said with a sigh.

"You must be Clemont, it's nice to meet you," Tadashi said with a smirk.

"Don't worry about it Clemont, it was acutally pretty cute," Victor added with a grin, looking over at Clarice who was doing her best not to be irritated.

All it would take is one more push and she'd blow her stack. But he wasn't going to push her buttons right now. His stomach was a painful reminder of how much pain she could inflict. He decided against goading her.

Clemont nodded and put Bonnie down who gave a cute giggle. Those two clearly had an odd family relationship. Tadashi and the group made their way into the gym and glanced around.

"We need to go to the top of the tower, that's where the field is," Clemont said with a grin.

Tadashi and the group nodded, following Clemont into the elevator to go up to the top floor. It wouldn't be too long before they reached the top of the tower. They stepped out onto the battle field and looked around, amazed at all the things they saw. There were several inventions off to the side that they'd never seen before.

"What are those?" Tadashi inquired, pointing to the pile of inventions.

"Those...uh...they're just proto-types that I am working out a few kinks in.

"My brother's inventions blow up on him," Bonnie piped up.

"Bonnie, don't tell them that!" Clemont scolded, causing Bonnie to stick her tongue out at him.

Tadashi chuckled at their antics. They really seemed to be close, from what he could tell anyway.

"Oh, right...so, which one of you is going to battle me first?" Clemont inquired.

"That'd be me..." Tadashi said with a confident smirk.

"Oh no you don't, you still need to recoup. Pushing yourself any further would be worsening your condition..." Clarice scolded him.

A sigh escaped Tadashi's lips as he shook his head. She was right, he still needed to rest a while. He had just gotten out of the bed and needed to regain his energy a little more before he battled. Clarice walked over and gently pulled him aside.

"I'll battle first, my friend here needs to rest up a little, he will go last," Clarice said firmly.

"Fine with me, I understand," Clemont said as he hit a switch on a remote he had on him. At that moment a robot referee came out and stood between them.

The battle soon begun and the first Pokemon were thrown onto the field. It was a long struggle as both contenders were battling their hardest. But with Clarice's stealth rock set up by Steelix, victory was inevitable. She iron-tailed and earthquaked her way to victory with Steelix who lost in the last match against Heliolisk. However, he was quickly put down by Roselia with her poison powder and venoshock combo.

Victor was up and the match began. His Medicham proved too much for Magneton, as well as Heliolisk. Emolga was taken out by Shelgon. Victor was such a force to be reckoned with. It wasn't that Clemont didn't put up much of a fight, he nearly took out some of Victor's Pokemon in a few close calls. It's just that Victor was so calm and collected all the time. It was no wonder Tadashi didn't win his match against him.

Clarice could tell that Tadashi was watching Victor's strategies. After the fight they had, she knew he wanted to win against him, just like he was determined to beat her. She was impressed with how far Tadashi had come from when they first me. He truly shared a bond with his Pokemon. Soon it was time for Tadashi's gym match. He stood up, his eyes fixated on Clemont who had returned with his healed Pokemon.

"Come on big brother! You've gotta win!" Bonnie pouted.

"I told you already Bonnie, it's not about winning, it's about having fun and sharing a bond with your Pokemon. When are you going to see that?" Clemont reasoned with her.

"But how do you ever expect to get married if you lose!" Bonnie said, flailing her arms as she spoke.

"I told you I don't care about that right now!" Clemont scolded her, a sweat drop appearing on the back of his head.

"You know...I find it sort of endearing that she tries to help her brother out that way," Victor laughed.

"As long as she doesn't try to set me up with him again, I'm fine with it. She's amusing," Clarice chuckled.

The referee came between Tadashi and Clemont and paused.

"Challenger, please state your name," the robot ordered, turning to Tadashi, waiting for him to comply.

"Tadashi..." He said simply, the robot nodding in confirmation.

"This match will be between the Lumiose City Gym Leader; Clemont, and the challenger; Tadashi! This will be a three on three battle. Only the challenger will be allowed to substitute Pokemon. The challenger will have the first move! Ready? Begin!" The robot announced.

"Okay Magneton, you're up!" Clemont shouted.

Tadashi deliberated on who to use. Magneton was a steel type, so Lucario would be a wise choice, as well as Charizard. Tadashi reached for Lucario's ball and grabbed it, hitting the mechanism on it before launching Lucario onto the battlefield.

"Lucario! Let's do this!" Tadashi said as Lucario immerged from his ball.

Lucario turned to face Magneton with a determined gaze. He was ready to fight for his friend no matter what. Magneton glanced back at Lucario, spinning its magnets as if to issue a challenge.

'Bone rush...' Tadashi called out to Lucario.

Lucario formed a bone staff and rushed towards Magneton, catching Clemont off guard. Magneton took a direct hit from the bone rush and smacked the ground hard. Magneton got up from the attack and looked at Lucario in bewilderment.

"How come your Lucario attacked without you talking to it?!" Bonnie shouted.

"Cheater!" Bonnie shouted.

"It's not cheating Bonnie...Lucario is an aura Pokemon. He can read the thoughts of his owner and doesn't need for him to speak verbally in order to attack. It's called telepathy...and it seems Tadashi is able to use it as a link between him and Lucario. This is going to be a tough match..." Clemont deduced, scratching his head at this predicament.

"Magneton, thunderbolt!" Clemont called out.

Magneton powered up, spinning its magnets before pointing its magnets at Lucario, sending a powerful bolt of energy his way.

'Spin it away with bone rush...then use extreme speed to close in...' Tadashi ordered.

Lucario simply stood his ground and then spun the staff in his hand counter clockwise, knocking the assault away due to it connecting with a ground type attack. Lucario then vanished and moved forward at an accelerated rate.

'Bone rush...' Tadashi ordered.

"This isn't good..." Clemont said through gritted teeth.

Lucario had gotten too close for Magneton to even have time to evade. Lucario slammed his bone staff down hard upon Magneton, sending it flying down towards the ground, crashing hard onto the arena floor. When the dust cleared, Magneton was knocked out.

"Magneton is unable to battle! Lucario wins!" The referee declared.

"Impressive, you used your aura in sync with Lucario's quite well. Let's see if yo can keep that up! Go Emolga!" Clemont said as he threw out his next Pokemon. Emoga was a small flying electric rodent. This was going to be a little more difficult because Emolga was probably fast.

"Emolga, use aerial ace!" Clemont commanded.

At that moment, Emolga closed in swiftly, a white aura forming around it as he flew. Emolga crashed into Lucario at great speed and sent him stumbling back.

Although it wasn't very effective, Lucario still felt the force of the attack.

"Use volt switch!" Clemont ordered.

'Dodge and use extreme speed...' Tadashi ordered.

Volt switch missed its mark, which threw off Clemont's strategy entirely. A smirk crossed Tadashi's features as he glanced over at Clemont.

"You were planning on returning Emolga that way, thus using a loophole in your inability to substitute...am I right? I had a feeling you'd try it. I watched all of your battles closely...I'm not about to let that happen," Tadashi said with a steel resolve.

Clemont sweat dropped at the mention of his strategy. It had worked a few times, but with Tadashi it seemed like a different story. Lucario closed in on Emolga and slammed his foot onto the flying rodent and sent him flying into the ground. Emolga regained its balance in the air and stopped himself from hitting the floor.

Lucario landed from the attack but suddenly found himself struggling to move.

'You've got to be kidding me...' Tadashi grumbled.

'I'm afraid I can't move...' Lucario replied.

"Emolga, use thunderbolt!" Clemont shouted.

Emolga flipped in the air and shot a powerful thunderbolt towards Lucario, hitting him dead on.

"Now end it with aerial ace!" Clemont called out.

Lucario was still unable to move due to the shock he had received. He was soon slammed to the ground by Emolga, knocked out from fatigue.

"Lucario is unable to battle! Emolga is the winner!" The robat referee declared.

'I'm sorry, Tadashi...' Lucario apologized.

'It's fine Lucario, don't worry about it. You did great,' Tadashi said as he returned Lucario to his ball.

"I must admit, I wasn't expecting the static to kick in. You surprised me Clemont..." Tadashi said as he grabbed his next Pokemon.

"I'm more surprised that it happened than you are. Lucario is so fast, I was worried I wasn't going to win," Clemont said nervously.

"Well, this match isn't over yet...let's see how this goes. Tyrunt, you're up!" Tadashi called out, launching the future city wrecker into battle.

Tyrunt appeared onto the field in its usual tempermental manner. Unfortunately for him, it looked more cute than vicious. Bonnie was practically gushing over how cute Tyrunt was.

"Aww! It's so adorable!" Bonnie chirped.

Tyrunt was taken aback by this and recoiled in the same manner as Clarice when she was asked to marry Bonnie's brother.

Tadashi scratched his head nervously as he watched this display. Bonnie wanted to run out onto the field and hug the guy, but she knew better than to do that.

'It may be cute...but I think there is more to it than that. If I remember...Grant has a Tyrunt and that thing is dangerous. I know better than to misjudge anything like him...' Clemont thought with a sweat drop.

"Tyrunt, use rock tomb!" Tadashi ordered.

"Thunderbolt!" Clemont countered.

Tyrunt drew in the ancient energies dwelling within his tiny frame and expelled them with great power, the boulders launching themselves at Emolga with an alarming swiftness. Emolga was quickly overtaken by it and pinned down.

"Ancient power!" Tadashi called out.

Emolga had already taken a super effective strike, and now it was about to take another one.

"Emolga, get out of there!" Clemont called out. But it was no use.

The ancient power connected with groundbreaking force. When the smoke cleared, Emolga was seen knocked out. A sigh left Clemont's lips as he recalled Emolga to his ball.

"Heliolisk, let's go!" Clemont called out.

An electric lizard appeared onto the field, bolts of electricity flying around it as it gave a battle cry. This was Clemont's strongest Pokemon. This was going to be a rough fight as he had no clue what it could do.

"Tyrunt, use ancient power!" Tadashi commanded.

"Heliolisk, use focus blast!" Clemont ordered.

Tadashi's eyes widened as he heard Clemont call out a powerful attack. He was expecting a thunderbolt or grass knot like he'd used previously in his battle with Victor and Clarice, but this wasn't what he expected. The blast struck Tyrunt with a powerful force, sending him flying, landing in a heap on the ground, knocked out.

"Tyrunt is unable to battle! Heliolisk wins!" The robot referee declared.

Tadashi simply shook his head and returned Tyrunt to his ball.

"Good job Tyrunt, you made me proud..." Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"Well, it's down to the last fight. Show me what you've got Tadashi!" Clemont called out.

"Are you sure? Well alright, if you say so!" Tadashi stated, grabbing Charizard's ball from his belt.

He formulated a strategy for winning that was perfect. Charizard was at a bit of a disadvantage due to his fire and flying typing. Heliolisk was a powerful foe and not to be taken lightly. As he thought about it, he recalled his battle with Victor and how he didn't use Mega Evolution on him seeing as it wouldn't have been fair. Even still...he was sure Victor would have still won.

Tadashi thought about it and then decided to forgo that strategy and battle Clemont fairly. A smirk crossed his visage as he fired Charizard's ball onto the field.

"Charizard, you're up!" Tadashi shouted, bringing out his favorite Pokemon.

Charizard roared loudly as it appeared onto the battle field. Flames shot from his mouth in powerful streams as he sounded his battle cry. His penetrating sapphire irises looked down at Heliolisk in a challenging and intimidating manner, as if daring him to attack. Heliolisk looked slightly nervous as the infernal powerhouse that was Charizard stood before him.

"Heliolisk, use thunderbolt!" Clemont ordered.

Heliolisk charged up a powerful thunderbolt, his frills flaring open as he shot the power towards Charizard.

"Use flamethrower!" Tadashi countered.

Charizard reared its head back, gathering intense flames into its mouth before sending a powerful stream of fire towards the oncoming thunderbolt. The two attacks collided in the air and caused an explosion that covered the arena in smoke.

Charizard looked around in the smoke but couldn't find Heliolisk.

"Heliolisk, use thunderbolt!" Clemont ordered.

At that moment, a devastating thunderbolt attack struck Charizard with critical force, launching him backwards. The smoke parted as Charizard crashed onto the arena floor, slowly rising to stand after being stuck by a strong attack.

"Follow it up with quick attack!" Clemont ordered. Heliolisk soon raced off at a rapid pace, closing the distance fairly quickly.

"Hang in there Charizard, use flamethrower!" Tadashi called back.

The smoke had cleared at this point and Charizard could see Heliolisk. By that time, it was a little too late as Heliolisk was a bit too close to counter. Charizard was knocked back again only he didn't fall this time.

"One more time! Quick attack!" Clemont ordered, taking advantage of the situation.

For some reason or another, Charizard wasn't moving. He sensed that his owner didn't want him to because he hadn't been given a command. As Heliolisk got close, aiming to strike, Tadashi acted.

"Flamethrower now!" Tadashi called out, implamenting his strategy as always.

Heliolisk didn't even have time to move as he was staring into the open mouth of Charizard. The flames shot out of it quickly and struck Heliolisk with intense heat. Heliolisk was knocked back and skidded across the floor.

"Wrap this up with dragon claw!" Tadashi called out.

Charizard roared loudly as he took off towards Heliolisk. His claw glowed a bright blue as he neared Heliolisk. With a mighty slash, Heliolisk was sent back into the ground with brute force, knocking him out. The dust settled to reveal Charizard roaring triumphantly over his victory.

"Heliolisk is unable to battle! Charizard wins! The victory goes to Tadashi!" The robot referee declared.

"Aww! Big brother!" Bonnie pouted as she saw Clemont with his head down as he returned Heliolisk to his ball.

A smile curved onto his face as he looked back up, adjusting his spectacles as he glanced over at Tadashi.

"I must say, that was quite a battle Tadashi. That Charizard of yours is amazing! And to think it learned dragon claw!" Clemont said as he observed Charizard.

"He's my partner, we battle as hard as we can...you were really good too Clemont. Your Pokemon hold their own quite well," Tadashi complimented.

"Thanks Tadashi, well, here it is Tadashi. The Voltage Badge, pretty cool huh?" Clemont said as he handed him a shield shaped badge with bolts of lightning coming out of it. He took the badge and placed it in his box.

"That makes five...only thre more now!" Tadashi said with a grin.

"And I'm sure you'll get them no problem!" Clemont said with a smirk.

"Thanks Clemont, and thank you Charizard!" Tadashi said, wincing a bit from the battle he'd just went through. He was still in pain from the injuries he'd suffered.

"Everything okay?" Clemont inquired.

"Yeah, just some injuries that's all, nothing major..." Tadashi said with a slight smile.

"Nothing major my foot!" Clarice shouted.

"Dude you were nearly barbequed last night, that sounds pretty major to me," Victor said with a smirk.

"Yeah, well the point is I wasn't...so there!" Tadashi shot back.

Clemont just looked between the three friends and sighed. It seemed he and his sister weren't the only one's that got into it from time to time. After their victory, they returned to the Pokemon Center. Clarice decided to go and see her mother while Tadashi went to get some rest after checking into a room. Victor went off to paint before it got dark. After a while, everyone was back in the Pokemon Center and headed off to bed. For whatever reason, Trinity had not returned that night. They figured she had her reasons for it though. She was an oddball after all. Still, the group couldn't ignore the feeling that something just wasn't right.

**_And thus, it was time for them all to get some sleep. Badges have been won and now...wait...where did Trinity go? The gang is now fast asleep and awaiting the morning. What will happen next? Who knows?! Find out next time on The Flames of Revolution_**!


	25. Chapter 25

**To my fellow readers! I will be taking a break for a little while after this chapter so I won't be writing for about a week. For right now, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. This one will be a little something special I whipped up. I hope you like it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its character and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 25: When a Heart Flutters**

She had woken up that morning with a lot on her mind. It was early...too early. Why was she up at 4:00 in the morning? She'd gone to bed just fine, but nightmares just seemed to come back to her each night. She was glad that her mother was safe, but...there was still that foreboding feeling. She couldn't shake the thought from her mind. And then there was Tadashi. Just the thought of him in that moment increased her heart-rate a little. A blush crossed her features as she clutched her chest. Why couldn't she stop thinking of him?

Her mind ran back to the first time she, quite literally, ran into him. She didn't know what to think of it at first. She was knocked on her back and looking up at the sky as if she'd gotten hit by a train or something. As she sat up, she remembered seeing him rubbing the back of his head from the impact. Now that she thought of it, she thought he was kind of cute. But the feeling of being rudely bumped into, and the fact that she was angry at the fact that she was delayed her arrival to Santalune City, quickly overshadowed that moment.

Then there was the second time she bumped into him. Ironically it was on her way out of Lumiose, again, and in the same manner. Honestly, she wanted to kick him where the sun didn't shine. Her memory forwarded itself to the Parfum Palace shortly after their first heated battle. The insults she had slung his way in that fight caused her to cringe at herself. She remembered them working together rather well to resolve the missing Furfrou incident. Now? She wishes she'd stood beside him to watch the fireworks instead of in the background.

And so the events continued until it sped up to several days ago when she was bawling her eyes out on his shoulder with her arms draped around his neck. She vividly remembered herself nearly closing the gap between their lips. Stupid Victor. And shortly after that, she was crying on him again because of how stupid he was going after Charizard after he nearly killed him. She picked up her plushie and made her way over to Tadashi's room again. As she got there, she thought about knocking. She just wanted to check and see if he was okay. Yeah, that was it. That was all she wanted to do right?

She raised her hand to knock, but then slowly retracted it and lowered herself to the floor by his door.

'Why is this so hard?' She thought to herself as she looked back at his door.

'I did it before...but he happened to be awake then. What if I wake him up and he's mad at me? I don't want him looking at me like he did on that day...' Clarice thought as she remembered the heated words that he spoke to her when he and Lucario took out Tyson.

He didn't insult her or anything...but it was just the way he said 'I said do it!' that made her quake in fear. She didn't want to be reprimanded. Still, this feeling she was having just now. She had to know what it was. It was bothering her greatly. But she just couldn't bring herself to knock.

Inside the room, Tadashi was sitting up in his bed as he was kept awake by the pain in his burnt arm. The left one wasn't doing too bad but his right was just borderline unbearable. Scratch that...it WAS unbearable.

Tadashi grunted quietly to himself as he threw back the covers to cool himself off. A sigh escaped his lips as he glanced over at Lucario who was awake.

'Hey Lucario...' Tadashi said as he leaned his back against the wall.

'You seem troubled Tadashi...is something the matter?' Lucario inquired curiously.

'Well...it's a bit of a small issue. It's my team set up. You see, before you were placed in my party, I had a Skiddo. I traded him in for you and I haven't brought him back since. He's been through a lot with me and is probably close to evolving too. I don't know...what do you think I should do Lucario?' Tadashi wondered.

'Well...I feel a little bad that you traded in one of your first catches for me. I'm honored that you did, however, perhaps you should allow him back into the party for the time being and substitute him. Maybe catch him up until he evolves?' Lucario suggested.

'I think you may be onto something there. I might just do that, thanks Lucario,' Tadashi replied.

'Glad to help...now, let's talk about something that I've noticed and I'm certain others have too...' Lucario stated with a smirk.

'What's that?' Tadashi inquired.

'Clarice...' Lucario said simply.

'Huh? Why, is something wrong?' Tadashi asked curiously.

'You mean besides you being an oblivious Slowbro...yes' Lucario muttered.

'What do you mean by that? We've patched things up, we're on good terms now. We're friends incase you haven't noticed,' Tadashi replied, raising a brow in question.

'Please don't tell me you are that oblivious to her? I'm surprised that you and I are able to communicate on the same aura level...' Lucario stated with a grimace.

'Hey, if this was about her being in my room that day, she needed someone to talk to and you know me...I can't turn someone in need away,' Tadashi replied.

'And you did the right thing. You didn't seem to see the hints I was trying to give you back there however, which if you had, things would be more clear by now Tadashi,' Lucario said flatly.

Tadashi thought about it for a moment. What was it that he had missed? His mind went back through every event involving her, from the smacking into each other in Lumiose, to their heated clashes several days afterwards. Their teamwork at Parfum Palace and at the Glittering Cave passed before his eyes. He was still confused about it, until his mind replayed the scene in his room. There had been a moment there where they were closer to each other than they had ever been. All he remembered was her face getting rather close to his as she looked into her eyes. Her touch against his cheek was incredibly soft. He remembered the knock that interrupted everything.

His thoughts forwarded to the moment he was about to be blasted into oblivion by Charizard, only to be saved by Clarice and in turn get saved by Diantha before they were both barbequed. He remembered that she cried in his arms, both times. He even vaguely remembered her resting his head on her lap on the way to the Pokemon Center. And if he was correct...she brought him to his room. All of this crossed his mind before finally slapping him in the face. How could he have missed it? It was right in front of him all this time.

'Well aren't I a-yeah...I you already said it...' Tadashi sighed as he looked over at Lucario.

'Finally having it catch up to you huh?' Lucario chuckled. Shaking his head at Tadashi's ignorance to Clarice's feelings.

'So...now what?' Tadashi wondered, looking back at Lucario with a curious gaze.

'Why not ask her yourself? She's sitting right outside your door...' Lucario said plainly.

'And how long were you going to wait to tell me this?' Tadashi grumbled, looking at his partner with an irritated expression.

'Until you realized it or she knocked, one or the other,' Lucario snickered.

'Sometimes...I wonder if I should have left you in the PC instead of Skiddo...' Tadashi grumbled as he looked at the door.

'N-no need to be rash Tadashi...' Lucario replied worriedly.

'That's what I thought...' Tadashi responded.

He looked at the door for what seemed like an eternity. On the other side of that wall, according to Lucario, was Clarice. He wasn't sure what to do at this point. Should he go out and talk to her? Or should he stay in his room and pretend as if he didn't know? What was he going to do? He sighed softly and rubbed his temples. He looked down at himself. He was decent...he had on his pajama bottoms at least. He sighed as he made his way to the door.

This was it. He'd already let her in once, this time should be no different right? She probably just wanted to talk. As he went to open the door, Clarice was standing in front of it, her hand raised in a knocking position.

"H-hey..." Tadashi said as he saw her standing there awkwardly.

"H-how did you know I was out here?" Clarice stammered.

"I took a wild guess...kidding, Lucario told me," Tadashi said as he looked back at her.

"Well...remind me to bean him over the head with something blunt..." Clarice grumbled as she looked up at him.

"So...what's up?" Tadashi inquired, tilting his head curiously.

"I...I couldn't sleep. I've got a lot on my mind...can we...I mean, is it okay if I come in? Again?" Clarice inquired.

Tadashi sighed softly as he looked at her. Something was obviously troubling her and like last time, he just couldn't say no. He nodded and opened the door a bit more for her to enter. He closed it quietly and locked it. And for good measure he put a chair in front of it. After Trinity somehow getting into his room the first time, he wasn't taking any chances.

'Don't mess up now...' Lucario teased.

'Go back to sleep...' Tadashi muttered back, turning to Clarice as she sat down on his bed.

"So...um...Tadashi, h-how are your injuries doing?' Clarice inquired.

"They're doing alright...they still hurt though..." Tadashi replied softy as he sat down.

"I see...do you mind if I help you change your bandages? Those look like they need to be replaced..." Clarice inquired softly.

"Er...no, I don't mind at all..." Tadashi said as he sat down next to a blushing Clarice. She looked cute when her cheeks were tinted pink the way they were.

Clarice began to unravel the bandages around his burns. She slowly removed the gauze pad which Tadashi swore was the worst part. He gritted his teeth to prevent himself from yelling.

She glanced at the burns along his arm and saw that they were better than they were previously. She remembered how bad they were when he came back with Diantha. She wanted to strangle him then too.

"It looks like they're healing up rather nicely...that makes me so glad..." Clarice stated as she motioned for him to go into the bathroom.

He stood up with her and they walked in there together. He sat down on the toilet seat and watched as she picked up some soap and washed her hands. She then began to wash the wound with the soap. Making sure it cleaned up nicely before putting on new bandages. She patted it dry with a cloth, and then looked in the cabinet for a first aid kit. Finding one, she took it out and took out some antibiotic ointment. She then proceeded to rub the ointment on his wound. Tadashi winced a bit as she did this.

"Oh don't be a baby..." she said quietly.

"It hurts...what do you want?" Tadashi mumbled, getting a light thump on the head from her.

"I'll make it hurt worse if you don't let me finish..." Clarice grumbled.

Tadashi sighed and simply nodded. Clarice took her time cleaning the wound and then, when she was done, she took out a new pad and placed it on his shoulder. She then began to wrap the wounds loosely so that when it healed, the heat wouldn't be trapped inside the burn. Satisfied with her work, she stepped back and admired it.

"I think that should do. Your wraps looked too tight...and they were dirty. You really should change them regularly you know..." Clarice scolded.

"I know...I just...get distracted sometimes is all," Tadashi sighed.

"That's okay, come, let's go sit...being in your bathroom is a little weird," Clarice said quietly as they walked out of the bathroom.

They sat down and stared at each other for what seemed like hours, but it was really only a few minutes. Neither said a word to one another. This went on for a bit longer until Clarice broke the silence.

"Tadashi...I'm going to level with you..." Clarice began.

"You are probably the biggest idiot I've ever met!" Clarice continued, her voice not going up in volume due to fear of the others hearing.

"Did you come in here just to insult me? Because if that's the case, there's the door..." Tadashi muttered.

"I'm not going anywhere Tadashi, now you listen and you listen good. Because I don't like repeating things to people who don't seem to comprehend them the first time..." Clarice continued.

Tadashi frowned as she continued, not exactly liking where this was going. Lucario on the other hand could see her aura at this point. It was flashing between pink and brilliant red. A smirk crossed his features as he suspected something interesting was going to happen. He didn't need to be awake to see it. Their auras spoke for them.

"This entire time, you've been nothing but a pain in my butt. From the time we met I've had rotten luck. And on top of that I lost to you in a battle. I'll admit I was crushed but I got over it. And later on...you did something really stupid. You nearly died Tadashi...do you have any idea what that would have done to me?!" Clarice continued, her voice still remaining stern and low in volume.

Tadashi blinked as he listened to her speak. This was the third time she got this serious with him while they were alone. There was a firey passion in her eyes that he'd never noticed before.

"I don't know if you realize this or not Tadashi...but ever since that night I have done nothing, NOTHING but worry over you. And then you had the gall to go out and try to fix your Charizard who, might I add, tried to kill you," She replied sternly.

Tadashi remained silent. He thought it was best to let her rant. She was right after all, he did do some pretty stupid things. He wasn't exactly proud of them either. He wouldn't blame her if she left the group entirely so she wouldn't be dragged into all of this. He looked up at her, only to see that her eyes were closed and that she was breathing in deeply. Her shoulders rose and fell as she opened her eyes.

"But...if any of that hadn't happened...I wouldn't have realized something..." Clarice said with a soft sigh.

"I...I like you Tadashi...not in a silly childish way but...in a more...well..." Clarice blushing, clutching her plushie tightly in her hands.

"I like you too...Clarice..." Tadashi replied. Getting a wide-eyed look from Tadashi.

'That's a funny way to say 'love' Tadashi...' Lucario grinned.

'One more word out of you and I'm returning you to your pokeball...' Tadashi snapped back.

'Touchy, touchy...' Lucario replied.

"I-is something wrong Tadashi?" Clarice inquired.

"Er...no, it's nothing..." Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"I see...well, I...I probably should get back to my room. There are only a few more hours until everyone wakes up. I want to at least try and get some more sleep. Clarice said as she slowly stood up.

"Yeah...that's a good idea," Tadashi said, getting up and walking over to the door she he could open it for her. He removed the chair and then found himself looking into her greenish-gray eyes. In that moment, he didn't know what happened. All he remembered was her lips touching his cheek softly. She held her lips there for but a moment before releasing and looking up at him.

'I missed...I couldn't do it...' She thought as she looked into his eyes.

'I-I guess I'll have to settle for that for now. It's a start...a slow one at that. But...I know that when the time is right, I'll feel more confident about it..' Clarice thought as she turned to head towards her room.

Before she could, she turned around one more time to see Tadashi's face. Priceless as it was, she couldn't help but feel a bit sad that she didn't follow through with her original plan.

Tadashi was flabbergasted. He didn't know what to do with himself at this point. She had just kissed him. Not on the lips but he knew she wanted to. She probably felt it would have been a little too soon, which he would agree with. He reached his hand up to touch where her lips had met his face and gently stroked it. A faint smile crossed his features as he glanced back at her. He didn't know what possessed him to do what he did, but he returned the favor.

Her eyes widened a bit as well, mimicking his earlier action only with a heated blush on her face.

"Thank you...for helping me..." Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"You're welcome...well, goodnight..." She said as she hurried off, quickly making it into her room and shutting the door. She slid onto the floor, her heart racing a thousand miles a minute it felt like.

Tadashi closed his door behind him as well and walked over to his bed. Had he really just done that? He wondered if he was just dreaming all of this, but a quick reminder from Lucario that he could 'see' the whole thing, proved him wrong.

'Smooth...' Lucario complimented.

'I get the feeling that could have gone a little better...' Tadashi mumbled to him.

'I think so...but then again, I think she's waiting for a more appropriate time to express to you more of how she truly feels. Anyways, you should lay down and get some rest. Your injuries haven't fully recovered yet,' Lucario reminded.

'You're right...I'll get on that...' Tadashi said as he climbed back into bed.

Clarice snuggled herself back into the sheets of her own bed and sighed. She managed to muster up the courage for that moment but blew it on the follow-through. Still, she was happy about one thing. He had the same feelings for her. He had kissed her too! A contented sigh escaped her lips, along with a giggle before she flopped back onto the mattress and closed her eyes with a smile. She would get there...eventually.

_**And that's a wrap ladies and gents. As I stated, there will be times where I will take a one week hiatus from writing. This will be such a week. However, next Thursday, sometime during the day, you can count on the next chapter. So, how did you like their little moment? I know some of you were hoping for something more but I'm not going to rush it that quickly. :P Anyway, stay tuned next week to find out what happens next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	26. Chapter 26

**ALOHA READERS! Whoa, excited much? You bet I am! My apologies for keeping you all waiting as long as I did. As I said, this will be a recurring experience with me so don't be surprised if I do it again. Anywhoooooo, I am glad to be back and bringing you another chapter of The Flames of Revolution! First I'd like to say: Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, to everyone who reviewed and continued to read! 2107 Views! And 86 reviews, I am stunned. Thank you guys so much this really means a lot to me! Shout-out to everyone who reviewed and helped me with plot ideas (you know who you are). Anywhoooo, how about we get right into the story? I realize I have to give you more after that last little chapter. -Snickers- Alright! Everybody strapped in? Great! Let's ride! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 26: Through The Murky Swamp**

Tadashi awoke a few hours after Clarice had left. He had taken some medication to help him get back to sleep since the pain was still bothering him. It was not exactly the best experience in the world. Then again, pain never was. It did, however, remind him that he was alive. He sat up in his bed and reached up to touch his cheek. The image of Clarice's lips pressing against it ever so gently was now etched into his mind. He glanced over at his burned arm. It was feeling a little better, although it still stung. He was glad that Clarice came in to help him with it. A faint blush crept onto his features, not unnoticed by Lucario who had woken up as soon as he did.

'Still thinking about it huh?' Lucario inquired with a smirk, stretching as he sat in his usual spot.

Tyrunt was still using Lucario as a leaning post, his mouth was open and drool was coming out of it. Thankfully, Lucario wasn't sitting in any of it. He glanced over at his trainer with a tired expression. Lucario could see Tadashi's aura was also, in this moment, turning a pinkish color. It would flicker between blue and pink for but a moment, showing he was feeling the same way that Clarice had the night before. A smile graced Lucario's features as he observed this. He was glad he decided to come along with Tadashi, although there was still that aching feeling of regret that gripped him after he'd left Korrina.

'Y-yeah...I am. It felt strange...right, but strange. I don't know what to make of it. I mean...you understand right? She'd been the bully most of the trip and suddenly...well...this,' Tadashi said as he turned around, placing his hand back on the spot.

'Yes, it is intriguing. I noticed her aura when I saw her for the first time. When the two of you interacted, it was odd. She seemed to be struggling with herself...as if she was afraid to let go of something. Last night, I believe, was her first step in letting go...' Lucario said as he watched Tadashi get dressed.

'I feel the same way...I mean, it still puzzles me that she did that. And...did I, did I really say I liked her back?' Tadashi said with widened eyes.

'The correct term is 'love' but close enough,' Lucario teased, getting a heated glare from Tadashi.

'Lucario...you're my partner and all, but don't think I won't hesitate to ship you to the PC...' Tadashi mumbled.

'H-hey now, don't be too hasty!' Lucario protested, getting a satisfied smirk from Tadashi.

A sigh escaped Tadashi's lips as he glanced down at his sleeping team. Braixen was sleeping on the floor only she had a pillow resting beneath her head. She must have stolen it during the night without her noticing. He supposed that she missed sleeping on the one next to him and wanted to have a bit of that feeling back. It was sweet to say the least. Marowak was sleeping with his head tilted back and his bone in his lap. Kirlia slept on her side, her features looking rather peaceful as she rested. Then there was Charizard He slept on the other side of the bed, being the largest Pokemon he had until Tyrunt evolved. Sensing his trainer was awake, Charizard yawned and stretched, glancing over at Tadashi with a neutral expression.

Tadashi glanced back at Charizard with a stoic gaze. Memories flooded each of their minds, from the first day they met, until their first gym battle together. The recent ones made them cringe in unison but after that came the thought of reconciliation. Tadashi gave Charizard a thumbs up, causing Charizard to nod in understanding. A smirk crossed both of their features, as if they somehow knew what the other was thinking.

'Even though he nearly killed you...the two of you have an astonishing connection...it's no wonder my habitual seeking of strong auras led me to you...' Lucario said as he observed the two.

'I was always told that Pokemon were drawn to me...I never understood why until now. I suppose it's my aura that attracts them. There must be something about it they like. I first noticed it on my journey when Kirlia just walked right up to me. I'll never forget that...' Tadashi said with a soft smile.

'You truly have a gift Tadashi,' Lucario said as he turned towards the door.

'Thanks...I'm glad to hear you say that. Now, how about we go see if the others are awake? I wanna get started towards Laverre City and I have no idea where Trinity went. She usually is with us. I can't help but feel something isn't right about her...' Tadashi sighed as he picked up all of his pokeballs and began returning his team.

'You have right to take caution...something doesn't seem right about her to me either...' Lucario said as he was returned to his ball.

'I'll keep that in mind partner...' Tadashi said as he latched Lucario back onto his belt.

Clarice had already woken up as well. Her mind was spinning from the night prior and she couldn't get over it. Had she really kissed him? Albeit not on the lips, a kiss was a kiss right? No. She had to go for it again, but when? It was a risk that she took last night and she nearly got caught the first time she was in his room. So what was she to do if she wanted to get some time with him again? She sighed happily as she got out of bed. Although she was still troubled by the previous day's events, she decided she would move forward. She had admitted some of how she felt to Tadashi. Her hearth throbbed at the mere thought of him now.

Clarice looked at herself in the mirror. She clutched her Floette plushie as she stared back at her reflection. Normally she'd be smirking at herself with vain thoughts running through her mind. This time? She was smiling, genuinely at that. The more she thought about the previous night, as small a step as it was, the more giddy she got. Clarice. Giddy. Something nobody would ever expect. She even let out a tiny giggle as she began to run her hands through her chocolate locks, humming a little tune as she did this. Clarice was still her usual self, and that wasn't going to change any time soon. She still had her temper, and she still had her quirks. But now? There was something else in her heart that made her feel a little lighter on her feet and she wanted to take that feeling and run with it. She'd start off slowly however...she didn't want to rush it.

She quickly rummaged around in her clothes for something different to wear. She wanted to wear something that would draw Tadashi's attention. So far he liked everything she wore but she wanted to really get his attention. She wasn't sure why she was going out of her way to do this however. Memories of how irritating he was quickly flooded her mind, causing her to pause her endeavors for a moment. As she thought of all the aggravating things that happened because of him, that moment when she ran to him for comfort quickly overshadowed those things. He'd been caring and kind to her and she wanted to show that she appreciated it.

With that thought in mind she pulled out the perfect outfit and raced into the shower, tossing her clothes outside the bathroom door before stepping inside.

Victor was also up, and he was waiting in the lobby for the other two to be ready. He'd gotten up early to do some training with his Pokemon. He'd recently evolved one of his Pokemon and was happy with the results. Venasaur would be an excellent addition to his lineup and the perfect way to deal with the next gym after what he'd taught it. Something was troubling him however, and it wasn't the next gym. It was Trinity. Although she was highly attractive, and fun to be around, and was a strong battler, he couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was WAY off. He began to run the events involving her through his mind. The first and most glaring problem was that she had a Mega Absol. For someone claiming to never have gone on a journey, her Absol moved as though it had tons of battle experience.

Also, it might have just been his imagination, but he could have sworn she was avoiding the gyms for more reasons than not wanting to watch. There had to be more to it than that. But what? He just couldn't place it at all. It didn't add up. He had a feeling that the others thought the same of her.

Trinity had hightailed it to Lysandre Cafe. She went the previous night so that she could rendezvous with Celosia who would update her on the mission. Trinity was now walking back into the cafe, Abby at her side. She hit the hidden switch on the wall and the shelf slid aside, making room for her to walk through. Standing at the entrance was none other than Celosia. A smirk graced her features as she saw her favorite little assassin walk through the doors.

"Good to see you again, I do hope you enjoyed your little escapade with the kiddies," Celosia grinned.

"Thoroughly, you know it's too bad we have to do this. I was almost starting to like hanging out with them. However...Clarice is annoying, Tadashi naieve and well...I'm not even going to get into how Victor is..." Trinity grumbled, remembering how she was checked out by the artist.

"Well, the time has come to bury those memories and put them away. As you know, Xerosic has quite a busy agenda and Lysandre, our benevolent leader also has his schedule to keep. So...as planned, we will start to take apart this group, starting with Tadashi. From what has been said...Tadashi now has a Charizard on his side that can become a mega as well as Lucario. He needs to be taken out of the picture and brought to me," Celosia said with a devious smirk.

"And what of the others? Victor is a great threat and to be honest I think we ought to snag him as well...and while we're at it, Clarice..." Trinity mumbled.

"Ah, but they don't seem to pose as great a threat now do they? Victor, although strong and has bested Tadashi in a fight, does not possess the gift that you say Tadashi does. He has the ability to communicate via aura with his Pokemon. Though we have only seen it with Lucario...if he lets that ability develop any stronger...we won't be able to keep him down. Also, taking the leader away will break the morale of the group. After all...they seem to lean on him for support," Celosia said with a snicker.

"Yes...and Clarice especially seems to be attached to him. Every time I hung onto Tadashi, I would get heated looks from Clarice that wreaked of jealously. It was hilarious to say the least, right Abby?" Trinity giggled, stroking Abby behind her ears as she spoke.

"See? With Tadashi out of the picture, the other two will most likely crumble. We need to crush their spirits. Tadashi will be taken care of by Bryony and Aliana. Victor will be dealt with by you of course. And as for Clarice, well...Mable will take care of her. Once they are dealt with and bound in chains there won't be a trainer around who can stop us. Hostages will give us an edge and not even that man and that woman will be able to stop us..." Celosia stated, not even wanting the names of the Champion and Looker to exit her mouth.

"Yes...I know. And once this is all said and done...Tiana will be restored to health. And we'll be happy again...just like we used to be," Trinity said with a soft smile.

"Of course Trinity, Xerosic is a man of his word and he will do as he said he would," Celosia grinned deviously.

Trinity smiled softly and walked away from Celosia, getting herself ready for the mission. Excitement rushed through her veins as she knew this was just one step closer to healing Tiana. She couldn't wait to see her dear little sister running around like she used to. Seeing her in the pitiful state that she was in currently made Trinity cry a lot at night. She feared that she would die before the process of healing could begin. She couldn't give up now. She had a job to complete.

"By the way...I want you to wait until after they completed the gym challenge. Of course, you may complete it before they do so as not to arouse suspicion like you would if you still traveled with them. It gives them a sense of having made it quite far only for their dreams to be crushed in an instant. This will make raiding the Pokeball Factory rather easy for us. The owner will have no choice but to succumb to our will and give us what we desire. Now...I trust you have something that can fly you there?" Celosia asked with a smirk.

"Yep...I already traded in Vaporeon for Hydreigon...I should be there before them. I'll set out immediately and get my badge...after that I'll wait around out of sight until the time is right..." Trinity said as she walked to the elevator to head down to the lowest level of the base to suit up.

"That's a good girl, and after this, you will be greatly rewarded," Celosia grinned.

Trinity nodded and headed down to the basement level, Abby in tow.

Tadashi and the gang had just finished up breakfast and were handing in their keys to the nurse.

"So...I guess this is it huh? Laverre City is next and it's the third to last gym before the Pokemon League," Tadashi said as he stepped out of the Pokemon Center with Victor and Clarice.

"Yeah...it's been so much fun so far. We still have a lot of things left to do though. I don't know about you, but I am in no hurry to end our time together too quickly," Victor laughed.

"Well, in spite of the annoyance you two have been at times...I must say that I too have enjoyed our time together. Time seems to be flying by so fast. Has it really been that long since we set out, or is it just me?" Clarice inquired, getting a soft laugh from the two boys, causing her to laugh in return.

Tadashi glanced over at Clarice, his eyes scanning her attire with interest. She wore something other than her usual cute attire this time. She wore a rather expensive looking black outdoor jacket. It was opened to reveal a green sports bra with a pokeball symbol on the front of it. She wore black jean shorts to match her jacket and had on what appeared to be black outdoor boots. Was she actually prepared for the trip to Laverre? Nevermind that, was she actually wearing something other than designer outfits meant for a runway?

"You should take a picture...it will last longer..." Clarice mumbled, getting a raised brow from Tadashi.

Victor simply laughed and shook his head. He couldn't blame Tadashi for noticing how Clarice looked today. Even Victor had to admit, she looked fantastic as always. Victor caught the blush on Clarice's features as she looked away from Tadashi and a thought crossed his mind.

'Are they finally-no...must be my imagination. If that were the case they'd be holding hands or something...but then again...' Victor thought as he watched Tadashi move forward.

Tadashi didn't say anything to Clarice, considering he knew why she said it. She was still very prideful and not the best at showing how she felt. Even he was still getting over the fact that she liked him. He sighed softly and turned to the group with determined eyes.

"We've got some time to get to the next gym. It might take a little while, and according to what the pokedex says...we need to go through route 14, and as it says...it's swampy..." Tadashi said with a sigh.

"I guess it's a good thing I decided to wear this today. I did a little research on what the terrain was going to be like and decided that I should be prepared," Clarice said with a smirk.

"When did you even get that outfit anyway?" Tadashi said with a curious expression.

"Oh, I went shopping with Trinity...she may not have the best taste in fashion but when it comes to roughing it, she knows how to dress for it..." Clarice admitted, remembering to thank her if she ever saw Trinity again.

"That's another thing...where is she anyway?" Tadashi asked, getting a shrug from Victor.

"Sorry, I don't have the slightest idea. She could be wandering off on her own by now. She probably has her own things to do. Though it really bugs me that she would just up and leave like that without mentioning anything to us. So much for sticking together..." Victor grumbled.

"Well, we can't worry about her now. We already lost enough time thanks to this bozo over here..." Clarice said, looking pointedly at Tadashi who frowned at this statement.

"Oi, did you think I wanted that to happen? I'm getting better aren't I?" Tadashi shot back, rolling his eyes as he turned towards the route they needed to go.

"Well, you did recklessly go after Charizard and although you got him back under your control, that still doesn't excuse the fact that it was the STUPIDEST thing you've done so far! So, to keep me and Victor from worrying, please, don't do that again okay?" Clarice scowled.

"I already said I wouldn't...he's back now and besides, it's not like I'm in the best condition at this point to pull another stunt like that. I may be a Dunsparce at times...but I'm not that much of an idiot..." Tadashi sighed as he glanced back at Clarice.

"Good...well, now that we've established that you won't be seeking to injure yourself, how about we get back on track with our journey? I want to get through that disgusting swamp as fast as possible so I don't have to deal with it any longer than I have to..." Clarice mumbled.

'I swear...if I didn't know these two, I would bet they were dating. There is still a chance that I might be right though...but I'll have to wait and see. Either way, more fun for me..." Victor smirked to himself as they began to set off on their journey once more.

It didn't take them too long to get to the next route after taking a cab. They paid the driver and made it to the route in no time at all. They walked through the station and were surprised to see that it was raining quite a bit. It wasn't a super heavy storm or anything, but it was enough to soak the trio. They all let out a sigh as they waited for it to let up a bit before heading out. The swamp was a difficult place to get through and they didn't want to struggle through it anymore than they knew they already would. After waiting a while, the rain slowed to a drizzle and the three set off once more.

They trudged through the swampy route, knowing that it would take hours before they could reach Laverre City at this rate. Tadashi suddenly stopped as he heard something rustling in the grass in front of them. The group came to a halt and focused on whatever Tadashi was looking at.

"Uh...what's up Tadashi? Why'd we stop?" Victor inquired, glancing over at the brush and then back at Tadashi who had a stern expression on his features.

Tadashi focused on the bush, tapping into his inner aura. He was trying something new. He sensed danger coming from the grass and wasn't exactly sure what to make of it. Suddenly, realization sparked in his eyes and he moved to the right slightly, barely avoiding a cross poison attack. Tadashi reached for Lucario's ball and released him from it.

'Nice work on using aura to feel him out...I didn't think you realized it had other uses other than battling with me...' Lucario spoke as he stood beside Tadashi.

'I figured it out after a few battles with you...and as we communicated when Clarice was in the room. I had a strange feeling that there was something more to my aura than what I had been doing with it...' Tadashi replied as he watched a scorpion-like Pokemon come out of the grass.

'Did...did Tadashi know it was there? I mean, I didn't see anything when we got here and suddenly...this? And what is...that's a Skorupi!' Clarice thought as she watched Tadashi as he stood beside Lucario.

'That's right...Tadashi has nothing to battle Valerie with...I heard she uses Fairy Types and Tadashi doesn't have anything that can deal with that. Lucario could, but from what I've seen...he doesn't know any steel-type moves. This should be interesting...' Clarice thought as she observed the Skorupi.

'Still...I feel uneasy about that Skorupi...something doesn't seem right...' Clarice thought, glancing at Victor who seemed to see the same thing.

Skorupi did not look happy to see the trio and was growing more agitated by the second. It shot another cross poison towards the group only this time towards Clarice. Lucario didn't even need to be told what to do at this point. Being immune to poision due to his steel typing, he darted out in front of the attack and batted it away.

'Thanks partner...' Tadashi stated, getting a smirk from Lucario.

'Anything to protect your companion...' Lucario grinned, getting a slight blush from Tadashi who quickly shook his head and stared back at Skorupi.

Skorupi glared at Lucario who stared back at Skorupi with a stoic expression. Lucario then held up a paw and beckoned Skorupi forth, taunting the little scorpion. This made it angry as it felt rather insulted. Suddeny, it enveloped itself in a bright white light which spelled huge trouble for the group. This Skorupi was evolving. Tadashi only smirked as he looked on.

'Don't tell me...you had a feeling?' Lucario said nervously as he looked over at Tadashi.

'Something like that...Skorupi are usually aggressive anyway...but their aggression gets worse as they are about to evolve. With the way it was shooting off that cross poison...well...it was only a matter of time...' Tadashi replied.

'I take it you stayed up to research the route?' Lucario inquired.

'Yep...I knew it was swampy, and so I looked it up and saw there were dangers on the route to be aware of. Skorupi was one of them considering they can be quite hostile. I had already known about them since my father traveled so much. One day, he said he made an interesting discovery on one of the routes. It was a never before seen Pokemon in that region...but it was an extremley rare encounter. He stumbled upon what he described as a scorpion-like Pokemon and managed to get some data on it. That's how I knew about it already...' Tadashi explained.

'You never cease to amaze me Tadashi...and from the look on your face, you intend to capture it now that it's evolved?' Lucario inquired, getting a nod from Tadashi.

'You bet...' Tadashi grinned, glancing over at the newly evolved Drapion, pulling out his pokedex to get information on this form.

"Drapion, the Ogre Scorpion Pokemon. Its claws give off a deadly poison and they are powerful enough to turn an automobile into scrap iron," the pokedex informed.

"This is our lucky day Lucario..." Tadashi said aloud, a smirk dawning on his features as Drapion stared them down angrily.

"So, Drapion, are you gonna hiss at me all day or are we going to fight? Either way...you're mine..." Tadashi said with a grin.

Drapion snarled defiantly at Tadashi and towered over him menacingly. It then charged dark energies into its tail, readying a night slash before lashing out at Tadashi.

'Block it with bone rush...then let him have it...his only weakness is ground. Abuse that as much as possible...' Tadashi commanded.

Lucario simply nodded, forming the bone staff in his hands to block the oncoming night slash that was targeting Tadashi. The strength of this Drapion was astonishing for having just evolved. It must have seen several battles and waited for the proper time to evolve. Lucario forced the tail back and narrowly avoided a counter assault. Lucario shot forward and bashed Drapion in the side of its massive frame sending it spiraling to the ground. Drapion slowly got up and shook the blow off. It was obviously hurt as it took a direct hit from its weakness. But due to how sturdy they were, Tadashi knew this was going to be rough.

Drapion raised its claws into the air and a powerful crimson aura surrounded them, signaling that it was using the move; hone claws to raise its attack stat. After finishing it lashed out at Lucario who blocked the attack again but with more effort this time.

'It seems to be getting tougher...hit it with a powerup punch to match his strength...we can't have it getting a leg up on us...' Tadashi commanded.

Lucario obeyed and powered up his fist, slamming it straight into the face of Drapion who had leaned down to try to trap Lucario in its claws. Drapion stumbled back from the hit and roared in pain, glaring back at Lucario as it regained its stance.

"Tadashi is really getting into this...although he's not speaking, he's commanding Lucario flawlessly...I'd hate to face him again now that I've seen this..." Victor stated with an amused expression. Victor was clearly more experienced than Tadashi, however, Tadashi was steadily improving.

"I see what you mean...I still plan on beating him though... I already determined that I would. No matter how strong he gets..." Clarice said firmly, watching the battle take place.

'Okay...we've got it making mistakes...now a good bone rush should finish the job. Watch out for that night slash...it's faster than it looks...' Tadashi ordered.

'Right...this Drapion is rather powerful for just having evolved. You don't think it held back from evolving do you? It must have actively sought out fights in order to obtain this level of strength...' Lucario thought as he glanced back up at Drapion.

The large scorpion readied another assault and slashed at Lucario who evaded it narrowly. Lucario rushed in and the bone staff clashed with Drapion's tail. Lucario spun out of the lock and slammed the bone hard into the side of the giant scorpion and sent it to the ground. Drapion struggled to get up once more, it was completely exhausted by this point. Drapion continued to struggle, not wanting to give up at all.

Tadashi knew it wouldn't last much longer, and he knew Drapion was going to pass out eventually. He was just weak enough that capturing it might work. He grabbed a pokeball and fired it at the tired Drapion and watched as it was absorbed into the ball. It began twitching violently, almost as if it didn't want to be captured. But soon, the ball stopped and remained still. Tadashi stared at it for a while and a blue screen appeared from his pokedex asking if he wanted to send Drapion to the PC. Tadashi glanced at his party on the pokedex and decided he would swap out Marowak for Drapion. Satisfied with his choice, he clipped Drapion's ball to his belt and looked back at Lucario.

"That was awesome Tadashi," Victor said, clapping his hands after watching the display.

"I admit, you had me a bit worried Tadashi...those attacks came REALLY close to you at certain points. I swear...if you get injured again what I'll do to you will be a lot worse than what happened with Charizard..." Clarice scowled.

"But...that was really good. Now you have something to battle Valerie with..." Clarice said with a soft smile.

"Thanks you guys...now, why don't we get out of here? It looks like there is a little shelter up ahead so we should be able to stop there and take a rest," Tadashi suggested, getting a nod from both of them.

As they got to the house, they noticed that there were several kids hanging around the house and an elderly man standing among them. From the looks of things he was telling them a story. Tadashi immediately recognized two of the boys. It was Blake and Jake again. Even Madeline was there for some reason. The three turned around as they heard footsteps coming behind them only to see Tadashi, Victor and Clarice heading their way.

Jake's eyes lit up as he saw Tadashi and Victor. Even Blake seemed ecstatic.

"Tadash!" Jake exclaimed, rushing up to Tadashi and stopping in front of him.

"Well, looks like you two made it out here alright. And Madeline? When did you join them?" Tadashi inquired, tilting his head slightly in confusion.

"I was on my way here anyway because I wanted to see what other tough trainers were out there, when I came across these two. Needless to say, they were fun to be around so I decided to stick with them for a while," Madeline grinned.

"I see...so it looks like we have the same destination. Wanna tag along with us?" Tadashi asked curiously.

"Hang on a second Tadashi! Remember, we have a rematch to settle. I wanna beat you!" Blake blurted out.

Tadashi smiled softly and glanced down at his team. He'd have to heal Drapion or else the battle wouldn't be fair. He sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry, but one of my Pokemon is injured at this point and the other is a little exhausted. How about this, why don't we battle after the Lavarre City Gym? I know that would be a true test of skill after coming out with the sixth badge am I right?" Tadashi said with a smirk.

'That Tadashi...always getting himself involved with people. It's as if he has a sign on his head that says 'relax, I don't bite...' or something like that' Victor thought as he watched Tadashi and the other two boys laughing.

"Alright Tadashi, I'll hold you to it! After the gym, we battle!" Blake said with a determined expression.

"Sounds like a plan...now, why don't we get to Lavarre City shall we? I don't know how much longer it will take but we'll find out I guess..." Tadashi said as he walked between Clarice and Victor.

The six of them set off for Laverre City with clear goals in mind. It would take them some time to get through how sticky the swamp was. They'd have to struggle a bit to get through but they were not about to let that stop them. They had one goal in mind. The sixth badge. How would they fare? Only time would tell.

_**And so ends this installment! I hope you all enjoyed it! I was excited to write this and was trying to find a good Pokemon to give Tadashi. He had nothing with an advantage over Valerie and his friends had a few that could knock Valerie around. He needed a little something so I gave him Drapion. So tell me, what did you think? Also, Team Flare's plans are coming to fruitation and Trinity is about to make her move! What will happen next? Find out next time, on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello again everyone! I do hope you enjoyed the previous chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. So yeah, Tadashi has a Drapion in his lineup now! This will be fun huh? Anywho, I'm rather satisfied with that chapter and I am now bringing you another one since I've kept you all waiting for a week solid. Well, that's all there is to be said about the previous chapter. Why don't we get straight into it?! Banzaaaaaiiii! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 27: A Focused Aura, and The Fairy Doll! **

The group had finally made it to Lavarre City, albeit they were completely drenched and covered in swamp scum. Clarice was not particularly fond of it and had every right to complain. Even though she dressed properly for the trek, she still didn't like the feel of the slimy stuff on her body.

"I need another shower..." Clarice whined, causing the group to laugh a little.

"It's not funny! This is gross!" Clarice said, crossing her arms and pouting like a child.

Tadashi rolled his eyes and glanced towards the Pokemon Center. He was finally here and was pumped to get his sixth badge. He wasn't going to let anything stop him from obtaining victory, not when he'd come so far. Something still bothered him, however, and he noticed it when he came upon the Skorupi, who now was nestled in a pokeball, evolving prior to its capture. He somehow was able to feel the Pokemon out before he saw it. It wasn't simply the rustle in the grass...it was like he felt something deeper. Knowing that he was no expert on this, he figured he'd ask Lucario about it.

"You guys can go ahead...I'll catch up, I need to take care of something before we get settled," Tadashi said as he turned away from the group.

"Hey! You better not be skipping out on our battle!" Blake shouted, glaring at Tadashi in the process.

"Nope, I fully intend to battle you, I just need a moment to myself for bit, alright?" Tadashi said with a soft smile, heading back into the swamp, making sure to avoid the deeper parts so he wouldn't sink.

"Is he okay?" Clarice asked worriedly, glancing over at Victor who simply smiled.

"It's obvious what he's doing isn't it? There's a gym battle coming up and he wants to train. It's been a while since we battled a leader and he wants to be prepared...let's just let him do his thing Clarice, he'll be fine," Victor said with a soft smile.

"I-I suppose you're right. Though if he gets hurt again, I'm going to break his arm again...do you hear me Tadashi?! You'd better be careful!" Clarice shouted after him.

"You know...if you want him to stay alive, threatening to hurt him yourself seems pretty counterproductive don't you think?" Madeline inquired.

"I didn't ask you!" Clarice growled, causing Madeline to put her hands up defensively.

"Is she always like this?" Blake asked curiously, sweat-dropping at Clarice's actions.

"Eh, you'll get used to it..." Victor replied, only to be whacked over the head by Clarice.

"Sheesh, why are you hitting me?!" Victor shouted, rubbing the back of his head as he stared back at Clarice.

"Because Tadashi's not here...that's why..." Clarice glared.

Meanwhile, Tadashi had gone a little farther into the swamp and decided to stop in a patch of grass about a ten minute walk from where he left the group. He reached down and looked at Lucario's pokeball and then, without another thought, tossed it out and released him.

'Something troubling you Tadashi?' Lucario inquired as he came out.

'Yes...it's this whole aura business. I know you were drawn to me for that very reason. But, I can't help but feel that there is more to it than what I've experienced. I decided to do some homework on what aura was and found quite a lot about it. Aura has different colors and uses...some for combat and others for different things altogether. This entire time I've been with you, I've felt as though my aura has another use other than communicating with you. It wasn't by dumb luck that I sensed that Skorupi...I figured out one use for aura. Now...I wanna know more,' Tadashi said firmly, getting a stern glance from Lucario.

'You would be right to seek out the answers...I knew from the start that your aura was different from the rest of the trainers I have come across. They hadn't fully realized what they possessed, and here you are, figuring things out...albeit rather slowly of course. I don't know if you are aware of the history behind aura and the Aura Guardians. Korrina was well aware of this concept, hence why she was able to perform the feats that she did. If you noticed...when she used her axe-kick...I was struggling to push her back. She was utilizing her aura in that attack,' Lucario stated, getting a confused expression from Tadashi.

'Then again...she's had years of training with it and developed it over time under the instruction of Gurkinn. You, on the other hand, are just beginning to realize your aura. Yours has so much untapped potential...it was honestly difficult to ignore the day that I met you. So...that being said. Why don't we see how far you can tap into it?' Lucario inquired with a grin.

Tadashi nodded and glanced back at Lucario with a determined gaze. All his life he had the ability to draw Pokemon to him without any explanation as to why he could do it. He remembered that Pokemon would flock to him in hordes at some point or another. From Linoone, to Absol and even Kecleon, they would all draw to him when he played just outside his home in Fortree City. Everywhere his parents took him, Pokemon were instinctively drawn to him, almost as if they felt they should be. Tadashi never cared about why it was that way. But now...he was determined to know. What drew Pokemon to him? The answer was clear now...aura.

For the next few hours, Lucario began to teach Tadashi how aura worked and what he could do with it. He could see without having to open his eyes and soon was able to practice with Lucario, albeit Lucario had the obvious advantage. Tadashi still had a lot to learn but he was able to channel his aura through his body after what Lucario had taught him and even push it outward in similar fashion to what could be unmistakably a bulk up. It was sloppy, and he still needed a lot more time to work on his control. It was exhausting Tadashi's energy the more he practiced, but hey...baby steps, right?

'I think we should head back...the others are probably wondering where you are Tadashi...' Lucario said, scratching the back of his head nervously.

'Oh yeah...right...we probably should. I'm honestly surprised they didn't come looking for me by now, I wonder what the issue could be?' Tadashi thought as he turned to face the direction he came from.

'I'm not sure, but let's not waste time here. This was a good start on learning the basics. I would teach you more...but that's for another day. So far you are able to fortify your body in the same way that Korrina was able to do. Her legs aren't as strong as they are by themselves you know...' Lucario said replied, getting a nod from Tadashi.

'Well...whatever the case may be...thanks Lucario. This helps me understand a bit more about myself. I'd always been curious as to why Pokemon were drawn to me. It's not like all Pokemon just go around looking for trainers. Then again, some do. Either way, now I know that my aura attracted them,' Tadashi said with a soft smile.

Tadashi returned Lucario to his ball and trekked out of the swamp. His arms still hurt from the previous injuries, so sparing with Lucario probably wasn't the greatest idea. He could only imagine what Clarice would say to his new bruises. Getting hit by a steel-fighting type was no joke. Luckily, the bruises weren't visable as his jacket covered them up. He soon returned to Laverre City to see that his friends were just coming out of the Pokemon Center. Clarice was sporting a new outfit now which consisted of a white leather jacket, a black tank-top that stopped at the naval, and a white skirt to match the jacket with black leather boots on as well. She had her usual earrings dangling as well. She even wore sunglasses in a similar fashion to Tadashi's.

She looked incredible to Tadashi. Clarice lowered her sunglasses so she could see over the rims and raised a brow. Tadashi had been gone for three straight hours with no explanation it seemed. She understood that he wanted to train, but should it really take that long? Clarice marched up to Tadashi and placed her hands on her hips.

"You do realize how long you took right?" Clarice growled, looking him over to see if he was hurt. She didn't see anything worth mentioning...save for the fact that he smelled rather awful.

"Ick...and you stink Tadashi!" Clarice stated, holding her nose so as to protect herself from the putrid smell.

"Sorry, I got a little carried away I guess..." Tadashi laughed, walking away from her towards the Pokemon Center. The others plugged their noses as he passed as well.

"I knew he'd train hard, but that seems to be a little much wouldn't you say?" Victor stated, letting out a sigh of relief as Tadashi left.

Blake, Jake and Madeline all nodded in agreement, as did Clarice.

As Tadashi got into the center, he got a key from one of the nurses and found a room where he usually stayed. He handed the nurse his team before heading to the room he'd picked. He didn't know why he liked being there, in the center, it was just a habit. He immediately grabbed the bath robe and took off his attire so he could get down the hall to a washing machine. As he changed, he heard the door open and then close shortly afterwards. He walked back out, only to see a new pair of clothes was laid out for him on the bed.

It was a hooded, black cape jacket with some faded black jeans to go with it. There were even new shoes as well. There was a note attached to them which he picked up to read;

'Tadashi,

I hope you like this. I've never really gone shopping for anyone but myself...but, when I saw this in Lumiose, as I was browsing around the Boutique, I found this outfit. I-I envisioned you in it and I had to say it suits you. I know you're attached to that one outfit you always wear, but I was wondering if...well, maybe you could wear this too? It was expensive so you had better like it! Okay? Well..uh...yeah, I hope you like what I got you,

Sincerely,

Clarice.

Tadashi didn't know what to do at this point. Clarice had bought him a new outfit. How did she get it to him though? He locked the door on his way in. What was it with everyone getting into his room lately? A thought soon occured to him that the nurse always has a master key and can therefore enter whenever she wanted too. It soon dawned on him that Trinity must have known this and was able to get into his room that one time. Did she do it herself or get the nurse to let her in? Tadashi shook the thought from his mind and simply exited the room to find the laundry room. After dumping his clothes in there, he'd make his way back to his room to shower.

He seriously needed one. He smelled worse than a Tepig that rolled in mud all day. He sighed softly as he stepped into the shower, his body practically melting from how heavenly the water felt. Tadashi took around fifteen minutes in the shower before turning it off. After cleaning himself up, he stepped out to dry off and began putting on the new clothes he'd been given. Surprisingly, they fit...perfectly.

'How did she know what size I was?' Tadashi thought, astonished that his clothes fit so well.

'No matter...I need to thank her for this. I have other outfits, but she felt the need to buy me this still. It looks similar to my dad's too. Heh...I wonder if she knows that it's his outfit I wear so often. Doesn't matter now though, this feels nice. The outfit is comfy too...' Tadashi thought as he walked out of the room and down the hall to put his clothes in the dryer. After about another fourty five minutes, he came out with his clothes fresh and clean and stuffed them in his backpack, taking out his gloves since the keystone was embedded into one of them.

He walked out of the Pokemon Center, after getting his team back, only to be greeted by Clarice who was staring at him in her usual irritated fashion. He hadn't realized how long he'd taken to get cleaned up and he guessed that she was eager to get to the gym. However, once she saw that he was actually wearing the clothes she'd bought for him, a blush came over her features.

"H-hey...uh, thanks for the outfit..." Tadashi said with a nervous smile, glancing over at Clarice who looked redder than a cherubi.

"Y-you're welcome, Tadashi...I hope it fits," Clarice said with a slight laugh, rubbing her arm nervously as she looked him over.

"What's this? Clarice bought something for Tadashi? Is there something going on between you two, hmmmm?" Victor teased, wiggling his eyebrows. Big mistake.

"Tadashi?" Clarice inquired, glancing over at Victor.

"Uh, yeah?" Tadashi inquired, watching as Clarice held out her purse.

"Hold this..." She said with a grimace, only to turn and sweep Victor off his feet and push him towards the ground with her hands, laying him flat on his back.

She dusted her hands off and took her purse back, ruffling her hair a little before turning to face Tadashi again, a satisfied smile on her face.

"Well, now that everyone is here, shall we get going? Madeline and the others are inside the center healing up. They had a rather rough time at the gym, Valerie must be really tough," Clarice said, adjusting her purse as she walked towards the gym.

"This is going to be interesting...I have yet to see what fairy types are fully capable of. Apart from your Kirlia, Tadashi, I haven't seen much lately. But then again...I can't say it will matter too much with what I've got planned for Valerie," Victor grinned knowingly.

The trio soon found themselves in front of what appeared to be a doll house of sorts. Tadashi blinked in confusion as he observed it. A doll house? He'd seen stranger things but this was certainly nothing to sneeze at. Walking into the gym, they all stopped and stared at the battle field. No matter how many times they looked at it, Victor and Clarice couldn't get over how beautiful it was inside. Tadashi was impressed as well.

Standing in the center of the arena was a woman in a very obscure yet elegant outfit. Tadashi couldn't help but notice the similarities it had to an Audino. It was almost a lolita style outfit with a bit of personal flare to it. The woman had straight black locks and captivating gray irises. This was definitely Valerie.

"Ah, so another group of trainers has come to play in my doll house huh? How fun!" Valerie giggled, showing a playful mentality.

"Oh, it's you two. Welcome back, I had a feeling that you two would be challenging me at some point today. I trust your friends are doing okay after their battles with me?" Valerie inquired, genuine concern in her voice.

"Er, yeah...they're doing alright I guess," Victor piped up.

"Oh, you have someone else with you! Wonderful, and he seems rather focused, I like that..." Valerie said in an excited tone.

As Valerie spoke, Jake, Blake and Madeline all came back inside. Madeline of course, wasn't doing any badge hunting, but Jake and Blake were. The two came in with serious expressions. They both wanted to win the badge from Valerie but she was just too hard to handle. A playful grin crossed Valerie's features as she saw the former trio walk in.

"Speaking of which, it looks like there are more here than expected! It's been a while since I've had an audience like this. Then again...I did do quite a few fashion shows but that's a different story..." Valerie snickered.

'She seems rather happy-go-lucky...' Tadashi thought as he glanced over at Victor and Clarice who were studying her.

'I should let them go ahead of me so I can get a feel for how she battles. I heard that fairy types are rather powerful...and not to be underestimated by any means...' Tadashi thought as he walked over to the side of the arena to watch.

"Hangin' back Tadashi?" Victor inquired, watching as Tadashi looked over at Valerie and then nodded back to Victor.

"So it's Tadashi is it? Cute name, I like it!" Valerie laughed.

Clarice quirked a brow at Valerie, not sure what to make of her considering her outfit, although absurd, was also rather brilliantly designed. According to the data they had on her, she made her own clothing line. Some of it was even sold in Lumiose. It must have been the real pricy strange looking attire she'd seen. At any rate, she needed to win this match if she was to get any closer to her goals. It looked as though Victor was going to go first. Clarice decided to hang back and watch along with Tadashi and the others while Victor did his thing.

'Victor's at a little bit of a disadvantage against Valerie. He has a few fighting types which are weak to fairy types. His Quilladin evolved from what I understand, but I'm not sure about his last Pokemon. He must have taken the Bulbasaur. If my guess is correct...he has Ivysaur or perhaps the final stage which would give him the advantage in that regard. Other than the presumed Venasaur...who can he use?' Clarice thought as she watched the match begin.

He started out with Chesnaught which was what Clarice hadn't thought he'd do. He figured he would start right away with a poison type advantage. Valerie started with Mr. Mime whose psychic and fairy attacks would have a major impact on the fight. Chesnaught was weakened considerably but surprised everyone when he used poison jab. Even Valerie wasn't expecting it. Chesnaught was quickly retired when she sent out Mawile. This was where things would have been problematic, had it not been for the fact that Victor already knew this was coming since he watched the other battles. He had a strategy prepared and he was going to use it. Alakazam appeared on the scene which was a puzzling move to Valerie.

Although, Alakazam boasted incredible special attack stats, it was weak when it came to defensive measures. And psychic attacks didn't really work on steel types really well. So what could Victor have been up to? Needless to say, she found her answer after a calm mind and a focus blast that knocked out Mawile post haste. Needless to say, they were all quite taken aback by Alakazam.

"Victor...when did you get Alakazam?!" Clarice called out as the battle ensued.

"I traded Kadabra for a second to Jake so I could have him evolve. How else would I have gotten him?" Victor snickered.

Tadashi simply whistled as he saw the powerful psychic on the field. It was already strong enough as a Kadabra, did he really need to evolve it? Apparently so, because that's exactly what Victor did. Tadashi sighed as he watched the match continue. For some reason or another, Victor recalled Alakazam and sent out a Venasaur, which everyone expected him to have. Clarice's Wartortle had recently evolved. It took place when Tadashi was training with Lucario.

Needless to say, Sylveon didn't stand much of a chance against the brutal combination that was sludge bomb and venoshock when poison took hold. Before long, the battle was over and Victor obtained his badge.

"That was truly a remarkable performance. You are an artist of a battler! Your Pokemon move with elegance and grace, yielding to your commands unwaivering. That is most impressive! I'm so blinded by that stunning performance, I can only hope the next two who will take to the stage will be just as entertaining to fight," Valerie squealed with delight.

Victor rubbed his head nervously as he saw how giddy Valerie was. She could be proper at times, after all she did work in a rather serious business. The modeling agency was quite competitive after all. Victor accepted the badge he'd been given and placed it inside his box, glancing over at Clarice who was now ready for her turn. She would wait for Valerie to get back of course.

"So...Tadashi...did you take notes on that battle? You seem to zone out when you watch..." Jake inquired, looking up at him with a confused expression.

"Huh? Oh...yeah...sorry. I was just distracted is all. Great job Victor," Tadashi said, giving Victor his signature thumbs up.

"Thanks Tadashi, and I'm sure you'll do great in your fight too," Victor grinned.

"Well, it'll be a little while before Valerie gets back, until then, wish me luck boys," Clarice said with a soft smile.

Tadashi nodded, however, his mind was focused on a different issue. During that battle, he could see the aura of each Pokemon more pronounced than before. Every move, every evasion...every part of that battle he saw just before it happened. It was as if he could predict the movements they were about to do or something of that sort. This was something he would ask Lucario about later, as of right now he wasn't going to bother with it.

Valerie came back into the gym and stood back in the center of it, running a hand through her locks before turning to face Clarice.

"Well, that was a fabulous battle Victor. I must say I worked up quite a sweat. I hope this beautiful young lady over here can give me just as good a workout," Valerie stated vivaciously.

"Oh, I'll give you a workout you won't ever forget..." Clarice said with a smirk, standing up to assume her position on the field.

The battle soon began and Valerie started off with Mawile this time, switching up her strategy a little. Clarice needed something that could deal with the steel-fairy type. A smirk crossed her features as she threw out her Blastoise. Clarice's purpose for choosing Blastoise wasn't clear, until he used bulldoze which took care of Mawile after Blastoise fired a hydro pump.

Tadashi had been watching rather closely, his eyes never leaving the giant turtle as he readied his cannons for the next battle. During that fight, Tadashi had a feeling that it would end in similar fashion. It wasn't that he knew the moves, he just had a feeling that Blastoise was going to win.

Sylveon was sent out to deal with the issue, and was able to take it down after wearing him out. Clarice sent in Steelix to sweep up the mess, and claimed her badge after dealing swiftly with Mr. Mime after Sylveon.

Needless to say, Tadashi didn't need to predict this outcome. The moment Clarice reached for Steelix's pokeball, it was all over. That thing wreaked havoc on the field and was a terror to deal with. A smirk played at Tadashi's features as he marvelled over his friends strength. Even Jake and the others were watching with widened eyes.

"Clarice, what a fitting name! Your style says it all. You were born to be well known with the talent you possess! It is my privilege to present to you, the Fairy Badge! Isn't it just beautiful, the way it shines? It's simply gorgeous!" Valerie giggled.

Clarice took the badge with a blush and placed it inside the box.

"Thank you Valerie, that was a pleasant battle. And thank you for your compliments, it is my dream to be well known one day..." Clarice said with a soft smile.

"You are welcome Clarice, now if you will excuse me...I must head off to the center to heal my team. Wait up for me Tadashi dear," Valerie giggled, winking playfully his way as she left.

Clarice frowned and sent Valerie an irritated glare, but Valerie didn't see it due to her heading out of the gym.

"You know...she may be fashionable...she may be nice, but...she flirts quite a bit..." Clarice said with a grimace.

"I still don't think the name fits..." Madeline mumbled to Tadashi as she stood near him with Jake and Blake on either side.

"Wanna run that by me again?" Clarice growled, getting a rather shocked expression from Madeline.

"No, that won't be necessary!" Madeline said, sweat-dropping after waving her hands defensively.

"Good..." Clarice huffed, turning to face Tadashi who was up next.

'Tadashi...you're still injured. I wonder how you'll do since you've not recovered fully...' Clarice thought to herself as she looked towards the entrance. The doors finally opened after what appeared to be half an hour and Valerie walked in again.

"Oh Tadashi! It's time for our battle!" She said excitedly, walking as though she were on the catwalk in her ridiculously high heels. She turned around and faced him with a determined expression.

'Looks like I'm up. This is going to be fun...considering I have an advantage...and an unfair one at that...' Tadashi thought as he stepped up and grabbed his first teammate.

A referee came over, like previous battles and introduced the challengers.

"This gym battle is between Laverre City Gym Leader; Valerie, and the Challenger; Tadashi! This will be a three on three battle! Only the challenger will be allowed to substitute Pokemon! Tadashi will have the first move! Ready? Begin!" The referee announced.

"Mr. Mime, come on out!" Valerie called out, bringing out her faithful friend to the field.

"Mime, Mime!" Mr. Mime said as he came out and stood still, staring back at Tadashi.

'Hmmm...a psychic fairy, just like Kirlia...perhaps I can use her to battle it...after all, it's the only thing that can take the attacks and dish them back out. Then again...maybe I can use Braixen...yeah, she's not had a good fight in a while so why not?' Tadashi thought as he picked up her ball.

"Braixen, let's do it girl!" Tadashi called out, tossing Braixen onto the field.

Braixen surged onto the field and spun her stick around before sheathing it into her tail.

"Braixen, use Flame Charge!" Tadashi ordered.

Braixen powered up, channeling the flames around its form as steam rose up from the ground beneath her paws. She was getting much stronger than she was previously and Tadashi could see it. For some reason, he could see that passionate aura that Braixen displayed more vividly now. A soft smile crossed his features as he watched Braixen charge in swiftly.

"Use reflect, Mr. Mime!" Valerie chirped.

Mr. Mime put its hands out and began miming as though he were trapped inside a box. As Braixen pressed on, she slammed into the reflectave surface and stumbled back in a rather bewildered state.

"Now use dazzling gleam!" Valerie sang out.

Mr. Mime extended his gloved hands and a burst of light shot forth, blinding the room for a moment. The attack connected with incredible force, sending Braixen backwards in recoil. Braixen got up and shook it off, considering fairy type moves were not very effective against fire types.

"Oh, wasn't that beautiful?!" Valerie sung out happily.

'Why would she do that? Braixen's a fire type, and fairy type moves don't do much to her. Then again...that was a pretty powerful move. It looks like it did a bit more damage than I accounted for,' Tadashi thought as he saw the sweat on Braixen's brow.

Braixen wasn't fully evolved yet, whereas Clarice and Victor already had their starters at their final stage. Braixen seemed to be taking her time evolving. Braixen stared down Mr. Mime and pointed her stick at him, shaking it defiantly.

"Braixen, use fire spin!" Tadashi called out, formulating a plan on defeating Mr. Mime.

Braixen obeyed and took out her stick. She soon sent a spiral of flames towards Mr. Mime, surrounding him in a pyre of flames that sought to consume the Pokemon with its heat.

"Wow, that's some power on that fire spin!" Valerie commented, admiring the beauty of the flaming pillar before her. Nevermind that it was hurting Mr. Mime, noooo, it was shiny.

"If you like that...you'll love the followup. Braixen, charge in and end it with flame charge!" Tadashi called out.

Braixen howled as flames engulfed her body before she shot off towards the pillar of fire before her. She disappeared into the fire with rapid speed.

"Miiiiiiiiiiiiiime!" Was all that could be heard as an explosion erupted in the pillar, dispersing the flames. When the smoke cleared, Mr. Mime was knocked out on the floor and Braixen stood over it triumphantly.

"Mr. Mime is unable to battle, Braixen wins!" The referee announced.

'Braixen must have learned fire spin a while ago...that was impressive...' Victor thought as he watched the match continue.

"Oh, poo, Mr. Mime lost!" Valerie said as she returned him to his pokeball.

"That's okay sweetie, you'll do better next time!" She grinned as she took out her next pokemon.

"That was fun! How about we make it even more interesting? Sylveon, let's go!" Valerie called out, sending out her ace which was a rather odd choice to Tadashi.

"Braixen, don't let our guard down, Sylveon is tougher than it looks!" Tadsahi warned.

Braixen simply nodded as she turned to face Sylveon with a determined gaze. Sylveon simply tilted his head cutely at Braixen. Tadashi couldn't help but feel that something was just off about this matchup.

"Braixen, flame charge, now!" Tadashi ordered, getting the advantage with speed.

"Cute, he's using that attack. He's going to get a nasty surprise, Sylveon, stand still for a moment will you sweetie?" Valerie called out, getting a shocked expression from Tadashi.

'She's asking it to remain still...what could she be plotting? It's stupid to take damage purposely, unless...oh no!' Tadashi realized too late as Sylveon was slammed into the ground by Braixen.

Sylveon simply looked up at Braixen who suddenly seemed worried. Her little fox heart was practically pounding out of her chest. She was love struck.

"Oh, isn't that so cute? She's in love!" Valerie chirped happily.

'This is bad...' Tadashi thought as he glanced over at Braixen.

"Why don't you give your new love a present Sylveon? Use draining kiss!" Valerie commanded.

Sylveon walked up to the lovestricken fox and kissed her on the cheek, draining her energy considering all Braixen could do was stand there and take it.

"Now, let's send them away with a parting gift shall we Sylveon? Hyper beam!" Valerie called out.

Tadashi's eyes went wide as he saw Sylveon power up an intense amount of energy in his mouth only to launch a heated fairy-type version of hyper beam. Due to the pixilate ability, Sylveon was able to turn normal abilities into fairy types. The blast connected with the helpless Braixen who crashed into the wall behind Tadashi and slid down.

"Braixen is unable to battle! Sylveon wins!" The referee declared.

Tadashi sighed as he returned Braixen to her ball and readied his next pokemon. He had to deal with Sylveon, and thankfully Drapion was a male. This would make it so that cute charm wouldn't have any effect.

"Drapion, let's go!" Tadashi called out, sending the powerful 7 foot scorpion into battle.

"When did he get a Drapion?!" Blake asked aloud as he watched the fight continue.

"He caught it on the way here, it was fun to watch, you should have seen it," Victor chuckled, turning back to the fight.

'However...though Drapion is a poison type, it's also part dark. This means fairy types will hit it normally so watch out Tadashi...' Victor thought as he continued to observe.

"Oooooh, a Drapion! Those are so aggressive, this will be fun!" Valerie chimed.

"Oh it will be fun alright...you can count on it!" Tadashi smirked.

"Drapion, use cross poison!" Tadashi called out.

'Sylveon just used hyper beam, which means it needs to recharge, so it can't attack. All it can do is dodge...' Tadashi thought with a smirk. And as he suspected, Sylveon avoided the attack, but narrowly.

"Sylveon, use hyper voice!" Valerie called out.

Sylveon sucked in air and released a powerful shout, causing Tadashi to cover his ears, along with the rest of the group.

"That's loud!" Clarice shouted, trying to block out the noise.

"Yeah, I'm surprised there's something louder than you!" Victor commented, only to be punched in the gut by Clarice.

The attack soon subsided and Drapion recoiled back, slightly disoriented from the brutal sound waves that were sent his way.

"Drapion, don't let it get to you. Use hone claws and then use night slash!" Tadashi ordered.

Drapion's claws glowed bright red, and his attack power rose significantly. He then pulled back and swung his claws towards Sylveon.

"Dodge it and use dazzling gleam!" Valerie commanded.

As Sylveon dodged the claws, a smirk crossed Tadashi's visage as Sylveon was in mid air.

"And there it is..." Victor chuckled, getting a confused look from Jake and Blake.

"Just watch..." Victor said with a smirk.

"Drapion, grab it now!" Tadashi commanded.

Drapion lashed out with its claws and grabbed hold of Sylveon.

"Oh no!" Valerie cried out disparingly as her precious Sylveon was captured.

"End it with cross poison!" Tadashi commanded.

Drapion charged up and fired a violet X shaped blast towards Sylveon, landing the powerful attack at point blank range. Sylveon fell to the floor in a heap, knocked out.

"Sylveon is unable to battle! Drapion wins!" The referee declared.

Tadashi pumped his fist in the air excitedly as he saw Valerie return Sylveon to his ball.

"That was a good show you put on Sylveon, you deserve to rest my sweet," Valerie said as she took out her last pokeball.

"Well, that was impressive Tadashi, I must say your Pokemon respect you highly and seem to follow your commands without hesitation. This has truly been a fight to look forward to. Now let's proceed, go Mawile!" Valerie cried out, spinning before tossing Mawile onto the field.

Drapion stared down Mawile with an intimidating glare. Mawile had an advantage over Drapion, considering it was a steel type and unaffected by poison. On top of that, dark type moves were also ineffective. Tadashi knew this and decided it was best to withdraw Drapion.

"Drapion, return!" Tadashi called out, knowing this battle would be fruitless.

"Charizard, let's go!" Tadashi bellowed, sending out his favorite Pokemon.

This caused Valerie to squeal with delight. She was practically acting like a little school girl now.

"A Charizard! It's been FOREVER since I've seen one!" Valerie giggled.

"Really? I would have thought a lot of trainers had them," Tadashi thought as she glanced back at Valerie curiously.

"Well, not over here really...you see, I'm from Johto!" Valerie said excitedly.

'That explains it then...that's usually the next stop from Kanto, at least from what I know...' Victor thought as he continued to observe the fight.

"Well, let's see what you've got Tadashi!" Valerie said with a giddy smile.

"Okay...you asked for it, Charizard, use flamethrower!" Tadashi called out.

"Mawile, dodge it and use stone edge!" Valerie called out.

'Wait...what?!' Tadashi thought as the stones were suddenly hurled towards Charizard after Mawile dodged the flames.

"Charizard, get out of the way!" Tadashi called out. Too late, the stones collided with Charizard, dealing heavy damage to him.

Charizard struggled to get up. He was four times weak to rock type moves which really put him at a disadvantage now. Although the attack didn't come from a rock type, and didn't pack the power that it could've had, it still injured him quite a bit.

"Hang in there Charizard!" Tadashi called out.

Charizard roared confidently and spat flames into the air, the flames on his tail growing intense as he glared at Mawile.

"Let's try this again, Charizard, fly in and use dragon claw!" Tadashi called out, much to the alarm of his friends.

"Tadashi! Dragon claw won't work! Fairy types are immune!" Clarice cried out, not knowing what Tadashi had planned.

'I know that...but this is the only way to get in and catch Mawile off guard...' Tadashi thought as Charizard raced forward, azure energy gathering in its claws as it poised to strike.

"Someone hasn't done their homework, dragon moves won't hurt my precious Mawile. Use stone edge, let's finish him off!" Valerie giggled as Charizard closed in.

As Charizard got in close, a grin crossed Tadashi's features.

"Quick, use flamethrower now!" Tadashi called out.

Charizard stopped his dragon claw and fired a powerful flamethrower straight at Mawile, causing the steel-fairy type to panic before being engulfed in flames.

'It was a feint!' Victor laughed in his head as he watched Charizard land in front of Mawile.

'He knew it wouldn't work and wanted to trick Valerie into getting carless...since stone edge takes a little time to use, flamethrower takes less time and was therefore the faster move...Tadashi that was brilliant...' Victor thought with a smirk.

"End it with fire fang!" Tadashi commanded.

Charizard clamped down onto Mawile and a resounding explosion echoed in the arena. The battle was now over. Mawile was now on the ground in a heap, singe marks on her body.

"Mawile is unable to battle! Charizard wins and the match goes to Tadashi!" The referee announced.

"Way to go Charizard!" Tadashi yelled excitedly as he ran in to hug the overgrown lizard.

Charizard roared triumphantly and nodded towards Tadashi as he recieved the hug. Valerie couldn't help but smile as she witnessed how close the two were.

"Mawile, return," Valerie said with a soft smile.

"Congratulations Tadashi, that was a fine battle!" Valerie giggled, taking out the badge to hand to him.

"It is my pleasure to award you with the Fariy Badge! Isn't it just so beautiful?" She inquired, handing him the badge.

"It really is, thank you Valerie, this match was fun, right Charizard?!" Tadashi exclaimed, getting a nod from Charizard who shot flames off once more.

"You and your Pokemon are just incredible to watch. I was captivated by you and them as well, you really shined bright out there," Valerie grinned.

"Thank you, it was an honor to face you," Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"The honor was mine Tadashi, I am glad I got to face you. I hope the rest of your journey is filled with as much excitement as this battle," Valerie said with a bright smile.

Soon the six trainers left the gym and decided to head to the Pokemon Center. Tadashi went into the center to heal his Pokemon. While he waited, he figured he'd take a short walk back over to the gym, just to look at it for a while. The others were waiting on their team to heal and he figured he'd be fine. After that, he decided he'd take a walk to the edge of the swamp, just to train his aura a bit more so he could begin to refine it. All seemed peaceful, for a while at least.

"Well, well, well...who do we have here?" A familiar and undesired voice stated, causing Tadashi to turn around and glare at the source. It was Bryony and Aliana. They were wearing gas masks for some odd reason.

"You two!" Tadashi growled, turning to face the two females. The next thing he knew, he blacked out. Aliana and Bryony had used knock out gas on him, causing him to fall unconcious.

A smirk graced Aliana's features as she saw him hit the ground, unconcious. She reached into her pack and pulled out her holo caster. Celosia was sitting down in the lab when she heard her holo caster beeping. A grin crossed her features as she picked it up.

"Has he been detained?" Celosia inquired.

"Of course, we've got the runt right here. I must say, he does look cute when he's asleep, Trinity was right," Bryony smirked as they picked up Tadashi.

"Good, bring him here...there is a cell waiting for him," Celosia grinned.

_**And that concludes this chapter! The plan has been enacted! What will become of Tadashi since he doesn't have his Pokemon on him? And with Trinity and the rest of Team Flare waiting in the wings, what will become of the rest of the group? Also, backtracking, it was a little tough portraying Valerie. That aside, did you enjoy the chapter? Wanna know what happens next? Find out next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	28. Chapter 28

**Good morning everyone! I hope you all slept well. I know I did! So, tell me, what did you think of the previous chapter. I know what some of you are thinking; 'what happened to Trinity?' Rest assured she will appear! (Hint, hint...) Anywho, I took it at a different angle in the last chapter to get things moving along. I hope you all are strapped in for the ride because this is where the rubber meets the road! Let's roll! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 28: How the Mighty are Fallen**

Clarice and Victor were still waiting in the Pokemon Center for Tadashi to return. It had been hours since he'd left to go train again and Clarice was starting to worry once more. She couldn't shake the foreboding feeling she was getting. Before, everything was fine. He had always come back. He would come back again right? Right? Victor looked up to see the worried look on Clarice's face. It was plain to him that she cared a lot more for Tadashi than she was leading him to believe. Jake, Blake, and Madeline were all sitting nearby, all of them wondering the same thing. Where. Is. Tadashi?

"That's it!" Clarice growled, standing up, clearly impatient as she made her way to the door.

"Wait up Clarice!" Victor called out, getting up to follow her out the door. Jake and the others did the same.

As they followed Clarice out, they paused as they noticed she came to a dead stop. Just outside the Pokeball Factory, stood a group of Team Flare members, standing guard. The group scanned every direction for possible routes to take. They were blocked off by Team Flare grunts with Houndooms at their side. Admin's were with each set of grunts, each boasting considerable force. And of course...Tyson was around with his issues. The City had been surrounded at this point, but why? Clarice and Victor glanced around, taking note that they hadn't been spotted as of yet. They retreated back inside the center.

"This is bad..." Clarice began, glancing around to see that Jake and Blake looked horrified and Madeline was shivering a little.

"When did they get here...how did they get here? There was no sign of them coming into town..." Victor whispered as he looked out the window of the center towards the Pokeball Factory.

"I don't know...but it looks like they're heading towards the factory...ugh! Where is Tadashi when we need him? He would be VERY useful in this situation..." Clarice grumbled through gritted teeth.

"Well...we can't wait for him now. This city is in danger. And by the looks of things...they're blocking off the gym as well...which means Valerie won't be able to get out without being overwhelmed...clever..." Victor said with a furrowed brow.

"What could they want with the Pokeball Factory though? All it does is mass-produce what everyone uses, nothing special about it..." Clarice mumbled, glancing over at Victor who facepalmed.

"I think I know what they are after...I remember it from the note my grandfather left my parents and me. It said something about a certain ball that could catch any Pokemon without fail. The team was trying to find its whereabouts as they had read about how and where it was produced first. They tried searching for it but came up empty...until they discovered something. The president of the Pokeball Factory here in Kalos came into possession of a rather unique item. Team Flare had their suspicions and from the looks of things...we gotta go!" Victor said abruptly, making a break for the counter.

"Nurse? I know this is going to be strange to ask of you but you have to trust me! I need Tadashi's Pokemon, asap!" Victor demanded.

"Why on earth would you want his, they're not yours, and I'm not at liberty to-" she was cut off as the sound of an explosion rang out near the center.

"We don't have time, Team Flare is here!" Victor shouted, causing the nurse's face to go pale.

"I-I understand, here...make sure they get to their rightful trainer," the nurse said as she handed Victor the pokeballs.

"Don't worry, now let's move!" Victor called out, bolting for the door right as Team Flare barged in.

Back in Lumiose City, the doors to the Lysandre Cafe opened and Bryony and Aliana walked in, dragging an unconscious Tadashi along with them. The effects of the knock out gas hadn't worn off yet and probably wouldn't for a while. But in case that happened, he was bound with steel cuffs that held his hands together. He was even bound at the ankles to prevent escape should he wake up and decide to run.

Aliana pressed the hidden switch and Bryony walked in with her, carrying Tadashi. The switch on the other side was pressed and the secret door shut. Soon they took the elevator down to the lab which was a floor above the prison. Celosia was sitting in her chair when the two walked inside. A smirk played at her features as she saw that Tadashi was indeed incapacitated for the time being.

"As I would expect of my fellow scientists. A job well done," Celosia grinned happily, watching as Bryony lowered Tadashi to the floor.

"He's rather heavy...Aliana and I had to switch out who carried him," Bryony stated with a grunt.

"Regardless, you two did splendidly. Now all we need for him to do is wake up...this way he can watch as his friends are utterly demolished by Trinity. As expected, they're heading towards the Pokeball Factory now. I didn't expect the grunts to be able to stop them anyway. It looks as though their group has split up however..." Celosia stated, switching to a monitor that was showing the battle going on.

The town had been bugged. There were several cameras hidden in the underbrush and in trees. There were even some in the Pokeball Factory to keep an eye on progress. In one camera, it was shown that Jake, Blake and Madeline were tending to another group of grunts who had an Admin carrying a Mega Banette battling with them. She giggled gleefully as her Pokemon unleashed horrific havoc upon its victim's Pokemon. Celosia smirked at the sight of this.

"Another potential for the Inferno Branch...I'll have to make note to promote her in the future..." Celosia mused to herself as she hit another switch to see the cameras inside the Pokeball Factory.

Victor and Clarice had fought tooth and nail to get into the factory after Jake and the others decided to hang back and battle the others so they could go ahead. Their suspicions were, that they'd be after the master ball. It was just like Team Flare to pull a stunt like this for something so valuable. The two looked around wildly for any sign of Team Flare. Bodies of workers were on the ground. Some were unconscious and bruised, others were badly burned. The sight was horrible. It seemed as though this was going to be their calling card. Why did they do this? It was brutish and unnecessary.

"This is...this is horrible!" Clarice growled, tears slowly forming in her eyes at the sight.

"I know...but right now, we need to keep our heads...especially right now..." Victor said as he indicated to the horde of Team Flare grunts blocking their way.

"So, the little kiddies decided to come out and play? How adorable, you think you'll be able to defeat us. Isn't that cute?" A new voice stated, causing them to turn to see who it was.

The woman had on an all orange school-girl-like outfit and had a blue tie which matched her sapphire hair. Her lips were the same color as her hair with a visor over her eyes to match. A grin was plastered onto her visage as she walked up near the group. Beside her was a Weevile and a Houndoom with a mega stone around its neck.

"I swear...if I am called that again, I am going to roll some heads..." Clarice said through gritted teeth, her eyebrow twitching in irritation.

"Relax Clarice...I know you're on edge, but right now is not the time for one of your fits..." Victor reminded.

"Oh I can have a fit all I want! In case you haven't noticed, Tadashi is missing! I have every right to freak out, thank you very much!" Clarice growled at him.

"You two, bickering like usual huh?" A familiar voice rang out, prompting them to turn and look upwards at the stairs.

They saw a feminine figure sporting a black assassin-like suit with a helmet on over her head, the visor pulled over her eyes so that only her lips were exposed. By her side stood what was unmistakably an Absol. The Absol had a mega stone draped around its neck as well. Victor and Clarice's eyes widened at the sight of this.

"Trinity? What are you doing here? Where have you been, you had us worried!" Victor called out, getting no response from Trinity.

"Tch...worried? If you were that worried, you would have come looking for me..." Trinity snarled, flipping up the visor to look directly at them.

It was then, that Victor noticed the flaming 'F' on the belt of her outfit. At that point, everything he thought about her was confirmed. He clenched his fists in anger as he glared at Trinity. Clarice caught wind of it and scowled up at her.

"YOU! You were with them this entire time weren't you?!" Clarice snarled.

"Ding, ding, you win, would you like a cookie?" Trinity chuckled, shaking her head at the group.

"You never wanted to be out friend. You...you were leading us on. Tadashi...trusted you! And you betrayed that trust!" Clarice growled, shaking with rage at the mere sight of Trinity. She was disgusted.

"Tadashi was a fool for letting me into the group. How daft are you kids? If it wasn't already obvious that I was out for more than being friends with you rejects, I was also setting this whole thing up," Trinity smirked.

'She set this up? Wait...those times when she didn't show up at the gyms. When she vanished that night...those were...no...she pulled one over on us...and we fell for it...' Victor thought, his eyes coming to the sudden realization that they'd been had.

He knew something was up with her from the start. Why hadn't he nipped it in the bud when he had the chance. The moment she released a Mega Absol should have been a sign that something was very wrong.

"Realizing it now? Trinity here is our top agent at the Inferno Branch here in Team Flare. They're a bit of a step up from the Admins and fall just below the Scientists. In other-words, she is an assassin. And she was tasked with the work of getting you three out of the picture. Well, two now...since we've dealt with your cute little ringleader," the blue haired woman giggled.

"Tadashi..." Clarice said with widened eyes.

"Wait...what?" Trinity spoke up, her gaze shifting to the woman who spoke.

"Mable...wanna run that by me again? Did you say that Tadashi was already taken care of?" Trinity inquired with a serious expression.

"Mmmhmmmmmmm! Aliana and Bryony gave him a little something to go to sleep for a while. But it's alright, he'll be awake to watch the show here," Mable grinned.

"That...wasn't part of the plan. I was supposed to take care of him here and THEN those two would detain him...I swear...nobody informs me of these things..." Trinity snarled, clearly unhappy with the switch in plans.

"Sorry, but Celosia follows orders just like the rest of us. Xerosic changed up the plans a little, what's the big deal?" Mable inquired.

"Because...you blue haired bimbo...I WANTED to fight him! Oh well, I suppose I'll have to settle for taking care of the other big fish anyway..." Trinity snapped, turning her stoic gaze upon Victor.

"I'd watch what you say girlie...and I am not a bimbo! They are not that b-nevermind..." Mable grunted.

Victor didn't know why, but he felt an intimidating presence coming from her. He couldn't shake the feeling away. Seeing an uneasiness in his eyes, Trinity smirked, knowing that her aura was getting to him. She knew he couldn't sense it like Tadashi could, but anyone can feel intimidated.

"You...I will NEVER forgive you! You were trusted...all Tadashi wanted was for you to be included in our group and thought of as a friend. While I admit I wasn't too privy to the idea at first, I began to see you differently after you rescued us. I began to see things Tadashi's way. Well now you've ruined it for me...I'm going to rip you apart!" Clarice snarled, taking out a pokeball to send out.

As she did this, Victor held out his hand to stop her. Clarice growled angrily at Victor and tried to fight his strength but couldn't. And then she saw it. He wasn't looking at her, he was looking at Trinity with a determined expression. It was clear, that Victor wanted her all to himself.

"Seems like your little boy toy doesn't want you to fight her. Looks like you're stuck with me huh?" Mable grinned.

"Or should I say...us?" She snickered as a few Admins came up beside her with their Megas.

'This is insane...how are we going to do this?' Clarice thought as she gripped Greninja's pokeball.

"So...shall we get started already? Or are you all going to come quietly?" Trinity stated with an emotionless expression.

Somehow, Trinity felt different to Victor. The Trinity he knew had a goofy smile on her face and was laughing with the group. The one he knew gave helpful advice and was strong and confident. That was the Trinity he remembered. This Trinity...was different. She held a vengeful aura about her person and it was terrifying to say the least. Victor gripped his partner's pokeball and released Chesnaught from it, Clarice releasing Greninja as well as Steelix and Blastoise who had recently evolved. The battle had begun.

Back in the lab, Celosia was watching the camera when Tadashi began to awake. His eyes slowly began to flutter open. He saw that he wasn't in familiar surroundings which was alarming in and of itself. But the glaring problem, was that he couldn't move his arms and legs. His eyes shot upwards to see Bryony and Aliana and someone he'd never seen before. She was wearing similar clothes to the other two. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of the trio.

"So, you're awake are you? Fabulous, you're just in time to see your friends get destroyed, I hope the view is pleasant for you. Sorry, we couldn't provide better accommodations, but you'll get some soon..." Celosia said with a devious grin.

"Who are you? And why have you taken me here?!" Tadashi demanded, trying to wriggle his way out of the cuffs but to no avail.

"Me? My name is of no consequence but since you are asking, it's Celosia and these are my associates, Bryony and Aliana. They were the ones who escorted you here to me," Celosia said with a smirk.

"You still didn't answer my question..." Tadashi spat, his eyes narrowing at them.

"Isn't it obvious? We wanted you out of the picture so that you wouldn't interfere any longer. We knew how strong you were so we couldn't take anymore chances with a fly like you buzzing about. And thanks to the information Trinity gave us, it was only a matter of time before we caught you...we were just waiting for the perfect moment..." Celosia snickered.

"Trinity...you mean she..." Tadashi barely managed to get out before getting a nod from Bryony.

"That's right, she works for us. We had her tailing you three the entire time. Her information was incredibly useful, then again, that's to be expected from our top agent in the Inferno Branch. Not that you would know anything about them...they're a darker side of Team Flare...more like mercenaries..." Aliana chuckled.

Tadashi's eyes widened as he looked up at the screen. Victor was battling it out against Trinity and Clarice was holding her own against her foes. Their Pokemon were getting tired...and the matchups were just unfair. Then again, when did they ever care about being fair? Tadashi didn't know what to do. He felt a swarm of emotions rush over him. Anger, confusion, sadness, all of it came in at once. What was he going to do? He couldn't move at all. He was defenseless at this point.

"Just keep watching, it will all be over soon..." Celosia chuckled.

Back at the factory, Victor was having a rough time with Trinity's Hydreigon. So far it was tearing his team apart with how high powered its attacks were. Where did she even get that thing anyway? It was madness. Three of his team went down way too quickly. Shellgon, Crawdaunt and Venasaur all went down like they were nothing. This Hydreigon was clearly on a different level than they were.

"I thought you were going to be more of a challenge Victor. You had me worried when I saw how strong you were against Tadashi...I suppose you were just a little stronger than him. I'm disappointed..." Trinity said with a stern expression.

"The only one who will be disappointed around here is you...you make me sick..." Victor snapped, getting a startled expression from Trinity.

'That's not something I expected to hear from him...I guess Victor really can get angry and is more than just a goofy smile with a laid back attitude...he actually has an angry side...I guess I didn't give him enough credit. Not that it matters...he's not going to win..' Trinity thought as she glanced back at Victor.

"Medicham, you're up!" Victor called out, sending out his faithful fighting companion.

'So he was saving Medicham huh? Probably didn't want to wear him out...that was smart considering I have some dark types to face...no matter...Absol will deal with him easily...' Trinity smirked to herself.

"Hydreigon, return..." Trinity said as she returned the hostile dragon to its ball.

"Good boy Hydreigon...you rest up now, Abby will take things from here..." Trinity smirked.

Abby stepped out onto the battlefield and stared down Medicham. This looked like it was going to be an easy win for Medicham, considering dark types were weak against fighting. However...Victor knew that Mega Absol was a completely different story. And as misfortune would have it...a powerful aura erupted around Trinity and Abby and well, Mega Absol was born again.

Victor gritted his teeth as he stared down the intimidating new presence of Mega Absol. Power radiated from its body as if it were drawing from an endless supply.

"Play rough..." Was the only word Trinity spoke, and before Victor knew it, Medicham was lying in the dirt unconscious.

Victor's eyes widened as he stared down at Medicham. It was over so quickly. He returned Medicham to his ball and glanced back at Trinity, taking out his next teammate and releasing him onto the field. Alakazam was all he had left.

A smirk crossed Victor's features as he looked at Alakazam. They both knew this was going to be tough. And Victor seemed to know something Trinity didn't. Alakazam had a mega stone on it and Trinity didn't realize it until Victor raised his hand high. A powerful aura rushed from his form as well as Alakazam's as the mega evolution took place. Now...instead of two spoons...Mega Alakazam had five as well as a beard that made him look like a sage. His armor thickened and his head became more shaped like a diamond and power just flowed from his form.

'He had a Mega Alakazam in reserves?! I thought he'd do that for his Medicham...that would have stood so much more of a chance...why this...wait...' Trinity thought as she analyzed him.

"Miracle eye..." Victor called out, causing Alakazam to nod as it meditated in the air.

Alakazam's eyes lit up and the symbol of a glowing pink eye appeared over Abby's forehead. Trinity began to panic as she knew exactly what this did. She was in trouble now, and she knew it.

"Psychic..." Victor commanded.

Abby suddenly felt herself being lifted up and then thrown back from the power that held her. It was such a strange experience, considering she was usually immune to psychic attacks.

"Focus blast!" Victor called out powerfully.

"Avoid it and close in with night slash!" Trinity called out as Abby barely got out of the way of the fighting special attack that tore through the wall behind her.

Abby rushed in with darkness surrounding her claws, leaping to strike at Alakazam who teleported away. He seemed to know Victor's next command before he even spoke it. Then again...it was Mega Alakazam, the braincells in an Alakazam continued to grow until it died one day. In essence...their intelligence and power...had virtually no limits.

Abby couldn't keep up with Alakazam's speed. It was much faster even if it wasn't mega evolved. Trinity was beginning to feel nervous now. This was the worry she felt when she watched that battle. Was Victor setting this up? Was he purposely holding back his strongest just for this? Why would he waste five Pokemon purposely unless...he had an ulterior motive?

"What's the matter Trinity? Can't keep up?" Victor taunted, causing Trinity to narrow her eyes at him.

"Big talk for someone who is losing..." Trinity shot back.

"That may be so...but at this rate...your dear Abby won't be able to catch Alakazam. If you cannot hit your opponent...you cannot defeat them..." Victor informed, causing Trinity to grit her teeth.

"Don't speak to me as though I am some beginner...I know that already..." Trinity barked.

"Abby, use mega horn!" Trinity called out.

Abby's horn grew steadily larger and glowed with intense light as she charged Alakazam. Victor sighed as he waited for her to get in close. He decided to take a page from Tadashi's book, something Trinity never saw him do.

"Focus blast..." Victor stated, watching as Alakazam powered up the attack.

The spoons all lit up and a sphere of orange energy was constructed before Alakazam who directed it forward with the sheer power of his ever developing mind. The blast connected with Abby dealing critical damage to the dark type. Abby fell to the floor in a heap. Trinity stared down at Abby in disbelief.

"No way...Abby lost? But...how?" Trinity said as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Are you just going to stand there...or are we finishing this?" Victor inquired sternly.

'We said we'd never lose...that we'd always find a way to win, for us, for Tiana...no...we can't lose here. Abby...' Trinity thought as she returned Abby to her ball, a saddened expression on her visage as a teardrop hit the ball.

"I'm going to make you pay Victor..." Trinity stated as she pulled out her next Pokemon.

She released the ball onto the field and to Victor's surprise, it was an Aegislash. Not only was this a problem for him, but it was a steel type and a ghost type.

"Shadow sneak..." Trinity stated flatly.

Before Victor could even get a command off, Aegislash sank into the ground and rushed towards Mega Alakazam and slashed itself upwards, knocking its opponent backwards, injuring it severely.

"Retaliate with psychic!" Victor responded.

"Avoid it with shadow sneak again..." Trinity countered.

Once again, Aegislash got the drop on Mega Alakazam and landed another succesful blow due to the priority that shadow sneak had. Alakazam was stuck. He was huffing in exhaustion and wasn't sure he could take another hit like that.

"End it with shadow ball..." Trinity commanded.

Aegislash powered up a ball of ghostly energy and fired it straight at Mega Alakazam, knocking it out for the count. The explosion caught Clarice's attention who was having troubles of her own.

Victor lost sight of Trinity for a moment as he was distracted by the fact that Mega Alakazam went down so easily. Before he knew it, he blacked out after Trinity knocked him over the head with a knife-hand technique.

In the laboratory, Tadashi watched in horror as his friend was assaulted. He knew he couldn't do anything to stop it at this point. He struggled in vain to get out of the thick shackles that bound him but he couldn't.

"Victor!" Tadashi called out disparingly, though he knew his words wouldn't reach him.

"Awww, how sad. He lost! He put up a good fight but he proved to be no match for Trinity. And it looks like your other little friend will be joining him soon..." Celosia snickered.

"Clarice..." Tadashi whispered, his voice trembling as he saw her continue to struggle. Now she was surrounded and had nothing but her Steelix to defend with.

She was getting tuckered out from the constant battles. There were too many to handle and she was running low on energy. Due to the distraction of Victor losing, she wasn't quick enough to tell her Steelix to avoid the oncoming fire blast which took it down. Clarice had lost as well. She was promptly knocked to the ground and stepped on by Trinity.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting to do that..." Trinity said with a satisfied smirk.

"Trinity...you...you witch...you won't get away with this..." Clarice growled in pain, struggling beneath the boot of Trinity.

"Sorry to tell you this but...I already have..." Trinity stated before knocking her out cold.

"Looks like you had fun Trinity, I was a little worried there when he pulled out a Mega Alakazam. I had almost forgotten your Doublade evolved," Mable giggled.

"Victor was difficult...but still, I expected much more than this. It looked like you had your hands full with Clarice. That team of hers is quite powerful...thankfully you had some Admins to back you up...and of course, your Mega Houndoom too..." Trinity smirked.

"Well, she did give us trouble, but with all of us battling her...it was only a matter of time before the flames consumed her...now we just need to haul this trash out and bring them to the lab. However...let's keep them separate...if they're in the same cell they might be able to worm their way out somehow..." Mable stated, getting a nod from Trinity.

"You two...pick them up and let's get moving. We got everything we came for...well, mostly everything...we still don't know where that is..." Mable demanded.

Two grunts came in and picked up Victor and Clarice. Mable and Trinity, along with the rest of the team exited the building and turned around to see that Jake and the others had been detained as well.

"Well, it looks like we're done here...we've got what we came for and should really be heading out," Trinity said as she glanced over at Mable.

"Yes...but we didn't get the master ball...we could have done so much with that. Not that we need it or anything...we have that Pokemon in our possession now..." Mable grinned.

"Yes...and soon everything will fall into place. For now, we move on to the next stage of our plans. I trust everyone knows what we're doing with these pokeballs we've taken?" Trinity inquired.

"But of course, what else? Catching as many Pokemon as possible...and using some of them for the ritual..." Mable giggled.

"Alright...now that we've got that covered, let's head back to base...I need a break," Trinity mumbled.

"Well, my team and I will head to Frost Cavern...we've got some business to attend to there. Have fun on your break!" Mable chortled.

Trinity nodded and tossed out Hydreigon and rode him off into the skies.

At the lab, the screen went out as all of Team Flare left as quickly as they came. Had the cameras not been shut off, they would have noticed a particular individual with a Gardevoir walking onto the scene.

'I was too late...they're gone...' Diantha thought as she looked down at the ground. People were lying flat on the ground moaning in pain. Burns covered their bodies and some of them were badly injured.

'This is terrible...I should have gotten here sooner...but that delay...' Diantha thought as she glanced down at the ground.

It was then, that she noticed a familiar object on the ground. It was a Floette plushie. Her eyes widened in recognition as she remembered seeing it on Clarice when they'd met. She had showed it to Diantha when they went around town for a while. Diantha picked it up and dusted it off. Thankfully it wasn't damaged.

'They're in trouble...I have to find them. And I also have to find him...' Diantha thought, remembering that Looker was working on the case.

Tadashi stared at the blank screen in disbelief. His friends were now held captive. All of them. And he wasn't there to stop any of it. How could this happen?

"See how hopeless it is for you? You should have never tried to meddle in our affairs. I hope you enjoyed the show, because now all you're going to be seeing from here on out is a cold, dark, cell..." Celosia grinned.

At that moment, Bryony and Aliana lifted Tadashi up as he struggled in vain to break loose. No dice. The two hauled him out of the lab and into an elevator which led down to the basement where the prison cells were. They opened the door and walked in with him, tossing him to the ground with little care for his injuries. The pain stung badly as it shot through both of his arms. He groaned and gritted his teeth in pain as he rolled over onto his back. He couldn't do anything at this point.

"Awww, did that hurt? Here, this will make it better..." Bryony stated, leaning down with Aliana to plant a wet one on his cheek, both of them leaving a green and orange lipstick stain on his cheek. They soon taped his mouth shut and walked out of the cell giggling.

Tadashi snarled at this motion, wishing to Arceus he could wipe the stains off. It was humiliating enough already being shackled and unable to move. Now he had a mark of humiliation on both sides of his face. Things couldn't get any worse right? He wished. The thought of being betrayed raced through his mind. He felt the same emotions that Korrina felt when Lucario left her for Tadashi. The same pain racked his body because he actually trusted Trinity and saw her as a friend.

Tears began to stream down his face, not of sadness but of pure, unadulterated anger. How could she? How could she betray the ones who accepted her into the group in spite of how irritating she came off as at first. She seemed so likeable, and Tadashi considered her a friend! He would scream if he didn't have that stupid ducttape over his mouth. This was just the beginning of trouble, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

In the next cell over, a giant of a man sat in the corner, simply watching the display of mental anguish that Tadashi was releasing. The man's emotionless gaze fixated upon him and one thought came to mind.

'He's the one...'

_**And that about does it for this chapter. I hope it was a fun read! I put quite a bit of time into this. I thought about showing the full battle between Victor and Trinity but I didn't want to drag it out too long considering there were other elements to the plot here besides the fight. A full fight will be shown at some point or another. I mixed things up a little this time around. So, Tadashi's imprisoned and the rest of his friends will be too. How will he get out of it. And what's with AZ? How will they all get out of this alive? Find out next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	29. Chapter 29

**Good morning viewers! Mango here with another update! But before we get to that, 100 REVIEWS! Arceus that is awesome! Thank you all so much for your support! So tell me everyone, what did you think of the last installment? Makes you wonder what's going to happen now that Tadashi, Clarice and Victor are out of the picture huh? All in due time readers, all in due time. Now, let's get back to the action! Saddle up because this wild ride isn't over by a long shot! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 29: As Time Goes On**

A solid week went by since the devastation that Team Flare caused in Laverre City. Most of the citizens were in the medical center having their injuries tended to. Valerie had some minor injuries due to her gym being attacked out of nowhere. There were several holes blown in the roof, mostly caused by Houndooms. She was able to fend off those that came for her, after all...Gym Leaders don't get their position based off of looks. It's by how they treat their Pokemon and yes, largely it's due to how they fare in battle. She was able to drive them away only to discover that when she got out, her entire city was nearly set ablaze.

She had a few injuries and burns, but nothing too serious. She was able to help the nurse with the wounded from time to time. What really troubled her was the fact that Tadashi and the others were held captive. The news was broken to her by Diantha, someone she didn't expect to see in the city. Then again...she's the Champion, and the Champion goes where she pleases, right? Valerie sighed and glanced over at the nurse who was tending a wounded young boy.

'They even attack the children...this is mortifying and unforgivable!' Valerie snarled inwardly as she turned to the little girl she was bandaging up.

The little girl looked up at Valerie with a weak smile, causing Valerie to stop for a moment.

"Miss Valerie?" The little girl piped up.

"Yes sweetie, what is it?" Valerie asked softly, stroking the little girls head lightly.

"Are we going to be okay?" She asked quietly, causing Valerie to look around at all the patients in the center.

"I...I believe so little one," Valerie said hesitantly, trying not to cry.

"I know that as long as you are here, everything will be okay..." The little girl said with a smile.

That tore it. Tears began to spill from Valerie's eyes, trickling down her cheeks. She hated herself for not being able to stop the destruction that occurred. How could she have let this happen? Also, how did she not notice they were there? Without warning they stormed her gym and it was all she could do to defend herself. Why did this have to happen? It didn't make sense.

Life seemed to go on in Lumiose, though everyone was now on their guard about the occurrence in Laverre City. Nobody expected them to strike there, of all places. People were now on edge. Diantha was back in Lumiose, searching for a certain building. She'd been navigating the streets of Lumiose for a week solid, trying to find that little tucked away place where a certain man lived. She needed to get to him. She'd been delayed due to challenges that had been issued to her and because of that, she had no time to look. And between that and her movie shoots...it was chaos. She hated, for but a moment, that she was as famous as she was. It was all fine and dandy when the world wasn't in danger of being destroyed.

She finally happened upon a small tucked away building which relieved her. She had heard it was somewhere in this particular area. Without so much as a knock, Diantha walked inside. Looker was sitting down with Claudia, having some freshly made tea with some pancakes as it was still morning. Looker was just about to take another bite when he saw Diantha walk through the door. He nearly spat out his tea at her sudden appearance.

"Miss Diantha! What an unexpected pleasure. What brings you here?" Looker said as he cleared his throat after taking another bite of the pancakes Claudia had fixed.

"I think you and I both know the answer to that Looker..." Diantha stated as she gently set down the Floette plushie.

"That...that's my...my daughters...where did you get that?" Claudia inquired, her voice trembling at the sight of it.

Claudia always saw Clarice with it. She could never seem to separate her daughter from that plushie even as she got older. To see her without it set off so many alarms. Looker glanced down at the doll and frowned, his gaze traveling over to Claudia who looked terrified. He heaved a deep sigh and looked back at Diantha.

"I assume that they were caught up in that mess in Laverre City...that plushie means that she's been captured. What of the others? Let me guess...they were rounded up as well?" Looker deduced, getting an affirmative nod from Diantha.

"Wait...what do you mean? What happened to my daughter?!" Claudia shouted.

"This may not be easy for you to hear. But your daughter is in more danger than you are now. While you are safe here with me...your daughter is in the clutches of Team Flare now. There is no telling what they'll do to her...and from what you've told me and what I've deduced...her father works for them. This will not go well for her..." Looker stated with a solemn expression.

"No...n-n-no...this can't be happening. He'll kill her! My daughter is in danger...and all you can say is 'this will not go well for her?!' We have to do something, no...I DEMAND that you do something!" Claudia shouted, tears welling up in her eyes.

"We don't know where their base of operations is, and even if we did we don't have the force to get in! Do you want to rush to your death so quickly? Think about it, if we leave here, that will expose you! If you want to live to see your daughter alive, you will stay here. I will figure out a way to find them. I know that they operate somewhere in this city...I'm not entirely certain about it but I have seen some of their activity here lately..." Looker said with a sigh.

Back at the lab, Victor and Clarice were sitting against the walls of their cells, after much struggling to sit up. They too were bound but their mouths were at least free. Once a day, they were fed. Lysandre wasn't completely keen on the idea of them starving to death. Xerosic was insistent about it but Lysandre exercised his authority over Xerosic and implemented times when they would be fed. Their legs were bound still when they were fed and their hands were re-chained once they were through.

Tadashi got similar treatment, even though he was a gigantic thorn in their side. Unwanted affection was given to him by the two female scientists who had dragged him in there, mainly because they knew it pissed him off and loved to see his temper flare. With the duct-tape over his mouth he could only muffle words that were barely audible. Meanwhile, the man in the other cell next to him sat in the same spot with a bowl of food by his side, he was also chained but with stronger bindings due to his size. He watched Tadashi for a good while before speaking.

"Tadashi...one who draws Pokemon to himself..." The man said, gaining Tadashi's attention.

Tadashi couldn't speak so he wasn't really able to reply. All he could do was lie in one position while the man spoke.

"It's rather strange...seeing someone like you in a place such as this. You have a gift that very few share and yet you haven't fully realized it yet..." The man stated firmly, his aged eyes casting a stern gaze upon Tadashi.

Tadashi quirked a brow in confusion. He looked pathetic at this point. His hair was a disheveled mess, and his injuries weren't exactly helping. The position he was in provided him with the least amount of comfort.

"You seem to have given up...something a lot probably would do in your situation..." The man continued, causing Tadashi's brows to furrow.

Who was this man? Why did he think he knew who Tadashi was? Tadashi wasn't a quitter, he never gave up. He always found a way and never let anything get him down. It was just that...his friends were now in Team Flare's hands and also, they weren't even in the same prison. Jake, Blake, and Madeline along with Victor and Clarice were separated from him. The only individual he had to talk to was this old man who he knew nothing about.

None of this seemed fair. His mind couldn't help but worry over the others and how they were being treated. They weren't badly hurt like he was...as far as he knew anyway. He missed seeing Victor's goofy laugh...and yes, even missed seeing him get socked in the nuggets whenever he did something to piss off Clarice. Yes...Clarice was another one he missed. He missed her yelling at him for being foolish. He missed her cocky attitude along with her witty remarks. Most of all, he missed her smile. His mind couldn't stop thinking about that night when she kissed him. It wasn't on the lips but eh, still counts right? He remembered the warm sensation he felt after that moment. He remembered her crying in his lap the previous night, pouring out everything to him.

Now she was most likely crying in another cell. He had no clue how right he was at this point. Clarice was practically in tears. She wished that she had Tadashi to lean on, or at least Victor but they put the moron in another cell with Madeline and Blake and left her with Jake. The boy still had some issues with her since he remembered their first encounter.

For the longest time, they didn't talk. Clarice was still sobbing in the corner and Jake had pulled his knees to his chest. He was simply staring at her, wondering if what he was seeing was real. Then again...she'd been this way for the past few days.

"Um...Clarice?" Jake said hesitantly, causing Clarice to look up and over at him.

"What...what do you want?" She shot back, her eyes still stained with tears.

"Sorry...I'll...I'll be quiet..." Jake said as he looked away, not really wanting to bother her again.

"No...tell me what you want..." Clarice said a bit more calmly, turning to face him as best she could.

"It's just...you seem different now, from when I first met you. Back then you were rather cold and seemed put-off by everything. What changed?" Jake asked curiously.

Clarice barely had to think about it. She knew what changed, and part of the cause wasn't with her and it saddened her greatly.

"The two idiots I travel with...that's what changed me..." Clarice breathed out, leaning her head over a bit to wipe her nose a little.

"So, Tadashi and Victor..." Jake said as he glanced over towards Victor who was listening in with a slight smile.

"Yeah...that butthead over there...and Tadashi...if I hadn't decided to travel with them...I would still be cold and insecure...and have no way to fix it. Tadashi helped me out more than anyone...Victor, I'm sorry, I just wanted to punch you half the time. And half the time I did..." Clarice mumbled.

"I know...I still feel them...you're pretty strong you know..." Victor grumbled, getting a laugh from Madeline.

"Jake...I'm sorry about how harsh I was to you during our first encounter. I was flustered, egotistical and self-centered," Clarice sighed.

"You still kinda are..." Victor muttered.

"If I wasn't bound up Victor...I would wring your neck..." Clarice growled.

"It's okay Clarice...I forgive you. It took me a while to figure out why you were changing. But I see that Tadashi and Victor helped you out a lot...so we're going to do our best and find a way out of here..." Jake said enthusiastically.

"That's a good plan and all...but in case you forgot, we're bound up here!" Blake snarled, fidgeting with his shackles.

"Yeah...we'll need to look for an opportunity to get out...as of now, we don't have one...Victor, any ideas..." Madeline inquired, glancing his way.

"Sorry...I don't have any. If the shackles were locked by a normal key, instead of electronically...then maybe I'd have a plan. But since they never really come into the cell, save to give us food...otherwise grabbing the key and trying to knock the grunt out might work. Other than that...I've got nothin..." Victor sighed, knowing full well Team Flare was too smart to fall for anything so simple.

"Well...that was helpful..." Clarice mumbled, leaning back against the wall with a worried expression.

'Tadashi...I hope you're okay...I swear to Arceus when I get out of here I'm going to pound you to a pulp...' Clarice thought with a grimace.

The main door to the prison opened and a man dressed in a red business suit came inside. He had dark brown hair that was starting to turn gray. It was neatly trimmed as was the mustache and beard that he had. The man seemed to carry himself with a rather confident disposition. A devious grin came across his features when he saw a certain girl in the prison cell.

"Well, it seems my failure of a daughter has found herself in quite a fix...to think I helped in bringing about your miserable existence. You always were a disappointment...as was Claudia," The man mused, getting a horrified look from Clarice.

"Reinald..." Clarice's voice trembled, anger welling up inside for the most part.

Clarice gritted her teeth and snarled at the man who dared call her his daughter.

"How dare you speak my mother's name!" Clarice scowled, her eyes narrowing in anger at the mere sight of the man.

"You're right...it does leave a rather bad aftertaste doesn't it? Even saying 'your mother' disgusts me. The thought of that woman is unbearable..." Reinald spat, looking back at an infuriated Clarice.

"If all you came to do was insult me and degrade me...that won't work anymore! I'm not your puppet, and I'm not someone you can push over and step on! You're wasting your time..." Clarice snarled.

"Ah, so you've grown some backbone. It took you long enough, but I suppose progress, is progress...but that's too little too late I'm afraid..." Reinald sneered.

"I actually came to thank you. Had it not been for your venturing out at night, I never would have found out where your mother was..." Reinald grinned, causing Clarice's face to grow pale.

"No...NO!" Clarice shouted, her eyes now pleading for him to cease what she knew he was planning.

"There's the fear that I wanted to see. The fear of a scared little girl who was always so easy to manipulate..." Reinald grinned devilishly.

"My team is on their way now to put her to rest. I'd do it myself but I'm afraid my hands are tied. It's too bad the chase had to come to an end. I was rather enjoying tracking her down..." Reinald laughed as he began to walk away, cackling manaically as he walked out.

"Reinald, Reinald, REINALD!" Clarice shouted out, crying bitterly as her words fell on the deaf ears of her father.

Her father belonged to Team Flare, and there was no getting him to change his mind. He acted on the authority that was given to him as a member of the Inferno Branch. He didn't oversee Trinity's actions however, mainly because she had a bit more authority than he did...and could probably beat him to kingdom come. He stayed clear of the girl whenever possible. Some people he just didn't see eye to eye with.

His team of mercenaries were slinking through the streets and alleyways until they finally came across their destination. One member of the squad was a mercenary with a Mega Evolution. The others were just a slight step up from a grunt, holding fully evolved Pokemon in their arsenal. The Mega Evolution the mercenary carried was a Tyranitar.

Diantha and Looker were sitting down trying to comfort Claudia who was still torn over what happened to her daughter. She was sad about her friends too, but moreso her daughter than anything. Diantha was about to speak up when a hyperbeam burst through the window, narrowly missing Claudia and Diantha. The wall was demolished in seconds. The mercenary stood next to Mega Tyranitar with a smirk on his face.

"We've finally found you...Claudia...your ex husband will reward us handsomely for eliminating you..." The mercenary grinned, stepping towards the trembling woman who began to back up.

"Stay away from me...don't you touch me!" Claudia snarled, backing up even farther.

It was as if they didn't even notice that Diantha, of all people, was in. The. Room. Could they be anymore stupid? The sound of the wall being blasted apart and the sight of Mega Tyranitar flying back after being hit with a moon blast caught the mercenary's attention. Standing beside Diantha was a Mega Gardevoir. The mercenary's face paled as he recognized the woman.

"Reinald said nothing about her being here...crap!" The mercenary snarled, watching as his Mega Tyranitar slowly rose to a stand only to be blasted back once more.

The others of the group fired their pokemon onto the field but they were no match for the might of Diantha's Mega Gardevoir.

The mercenary got up after being knocked over by one of his underlings and shook his head vigorously. He immediately pulled out his holo caster and ducked out of the building. Reinald was in a cozy chair somewhere in the lab with a rather promiscuous woman sitting on his lap. She had long auburn locks that curled as they went to her shoulders. Her lips were cherry red and her eyes were bright sapphire. She had decorated Reinald's neck with love marks, only to pause as she heard his holo caster go off.

"Is that your team darling?" The woman inquired with a smirk, picking up the holo caster and handing it to him.

"It looks like it, perhaps the deed has been done...this will be music to my ears..." Reinald chuckled, hitting the button for the screen to pop up.

"Ah, Elliot. Is it over? Has she been put away?" Reinald inquired curiously, hoping Elliot's squad did their job.

"It's quite the opposite! We've got a situation over here, the Champion is here giving us a thrashing! We can't hold her off, she's too-" the transmission cut off before Elliot could finish his sentence.

An infuriated expression dawned on Reinalds visage as he clutched his holo caster.

"Looks like we've got bigger problems now, huh dearest?" The woman grinned.

"Yes...it looks that way. Blast that woman!" Reinald shouted, slamming his holo caster to the ground, breaking it in pieces.

"That's the fourth one this month love..." The woman said as she looked down at the machine.

"Lysandre makes them...I can get more..." Reinald grunted, standing up to exit the room.

"Where are you going sweets?" The woman asked curiously.

"To get some coffee...I need to get rid of this sudden headache...and figure out why I can't get decent help around here. I asked them to pull a simple job and they couldn't..." Reinald snarled, exiting to grab a cup of coffee. He would need a shot...not several shots of espresso.

The squad that attacked Lookers place was unconscious, save for the mercenary, Elliot, who had the Mega Tyranitar. He was tied up and bound to a chair while Looker questioned him. He wasn't getting anywhere, which was unfortunate.

"I told you, for the last time...I'm not telling you where they are! You may as well get rid of me because you won't get anything out of me..." He growled.

Claudia just about had enough. She stood up and made her way over to the tied up mercenary and punched him square in the face. She then lifted up her heel and ground it into his nuggets, causing the man to wince in pain.

"Listen here you low down piece of swamp scum! My daughter is in danger...because your superiors decided it would be a good idea to kidnap her. Do you have any idea what this does to a mother?! Now...either you tell me where your leaders have my daughter or whoever you plan on dating in the future will have a eunuch for a mate..." Claudia snarled.

"If you think that will scare me...y-you've got another thing coming! You will never break me, and Team Flare will succeed. The flames of revolution will never be put out!" Elliot shouted before being promptly knocked out by Claudia.

"You...do realize he was our only lead to finding them right?" Looker stated, sweat-dropping at how furious Claudia looked. He took a mental note never to piss her off.

"Sorry...he wasn't going to tell us anything. Even with fear of being castrated...he still wouldn't break..." Claudia sighed, slumping down onto the sofa to burst into tears.

Diantha sighed softly and sat down next to the crying woman and began to comfort her.

"I know you may not realize it...but your daughter is a strong young lady. She risked her life to help out a friend, one whom I can tell she holds very dear..." Diantha said with a soft smile.

"The boy...Tadashi if I remember correctly..." Claudia sobbed, remembering the handsome young boy her daughter introduced her to.

"Yes...him. Right now, things may look bad. But rest assured, we are going to do everything we can to get them back," Diantha said softly, rubbing Claudia's back in support.

"I...I just don't know how they're going to survive...my ex husband will stop at nothing to kill me...and now that my daughter is there...I just..I just don't know what to do. Arceus...I wish it were me instead!" She wailed, sobbing into Diantha's shoulder.

Looker sighed as he looked at the destruction of his living quarters. He was thankful that he didn't have to pay for the place anymore since he bought it outright. Even if it wasn't a permanent place of dwelling for him...he still wanted to take care of it.

"Before we do anything though...this will need to be cleaned up. I'll see if I can get ahold of a construction crew so they can fix it. Once I've done that...we-" He stopped short as he saw Claudia glaring at him.

"Or we can head out now...but we still have no clue as to where to look. I suppose we'll just ask around. There has to be some indication as to where they went..." Looker said as he recomposed himself.

Deep within the lab, Lysandre was relaxing with a cup of hot coffee while sitting across from Reinald who was venting about Diantha. Xerosic simply snickered as he sat comfortably in his own chair.

"Why haven't we done anything about her?!" Reinald snarled, taking a sip of his coffee before setting it down.

"Because it would attract too much attention...or is that simple concept too difficult for you to understand Reinald?" Lysandre inquired, sipping his own coffee as he loooked over at Reinald.

"If she were dealt with from the start, she wouldn't be in our way. I say we take her out of the picture now. This way we can continue our plans for this filthy world in peace..." Reinald grumbled.

"There isn't an individual alive who could challenge Diantha and have any hopes of winning. Why your group didn't pull back after realizing who she was is beyond me...they should have known they'd be trampled over," Lysandre mused, propping a foot up on the table in front of him.

"Well, his team was stupid to challenge her, they should have gotten away when they had the chance, no?" Xerosic snickered.

"That still doesn't excuse how four of them lost to one person! I don't care how strong she is, numbers can overwhelm anyone..." Reinald spat.

"You underestimate her...I've seen her strength first hand and I can say with confidence that even several units sent after her would be sent running in fear. Behind that smile of hers is a commanding presence that even I respect. Her strength is as unmatched as her beauty. However...she will not go foolishly into a battle if she knows there is a lot at stake. For instance...we have hostages...and she loves people. If she knows what's good for her, and if she wants to see them alive, she will stay out of our affairs..." Lysandre said as he glanced over at Xerosic.

"By the way...how are the other scientists doing? I take it Mable is heading to Frost Cavern soon?" Lysandre inquired, getting a nod from Xerosic.

"Yes, also, Aliana and Bryony are heading to Geosenge town to get an update on the status there. Trinity is accompanying them," Xerosic stated.

"And what of Celosia...what is she doing?" Lysandre questioned.

"Being bossy as usual...but she knows how to get things done..." Xerosic snorted.

"Good, then our plans are still in motion. Soon we will have all that we need to bend this world to our will. Nothing will ever put out the flames of revolution..."

_**And so ends this installment. So yeah, a bit of a time-skip there, nothing too drastic, to draw it out a little so it doesn't seem to be happening too quickly. Anywho, what did you all think? Clarice saw her father face to face for the first time in a few years and it wasn't exactly a happy reunion as I am sure you've noticed my fellow viewers/writers. I hope this chapter was enjoyable. It wasn't as action packed as some of them, but that's not a bad thing right? So, Tadashi and his friends are still tied up and plans are moving forward with Team Flare. What will happen next? When and how will they escape? Will they even escape? Find out next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	30. Chapter 30

**Weeeeeelcome back to another chapter of my fanfic! I hope you are are enjoying the journey so far because it's not gonna be over for a while! So, what did you think of the previous chapter? I know, I ask it a lot, can you blame me? Everything is in place and I am sure you are curious about how things are going to turn out. I suppose I can shed light on that situation...so let's get right to it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 30: Almost there Tiana**

Trinity walked into Geosenge Town with Aliana and Bryony ahead of her. She glanced back at the rock she'd hidden behind for nostalgic purposes. She remembered first seeing the group walk by on their way here. Wait, why was she thinking about them now? They got what they deserved. That's what she was supposed to do right? Ruin their lives so hers could get better. Isn't that how this world worked? She pushed the thoughts of the group from her mind and walked inside the main base of operations which was completely underground.

"You two can go and check on the mission status...I'm going to see my sister..." Trinity sighed as she turned and walked towards the medical room in the base.

There, in a hospital bed, was young Tiana. She was still in a coma and hadn't woken up for the longest time. The only thing keeping her from dying was the occasional tube feeding and medical checkups to make sure her heart was still functioning. Trinity looked over her sister with worry. She hadn't woken up yet and it had been several months. Seven in fact. She wanted more than anything for Tiana to wake up and for this nightmare to be over.

Memories of the two playing with Abby ran through her mind. Trinity took out Abby's pokeball and released her, allowing Abby to stand by Tiana's bedside with Trinity. Abby looked rather saddened by Tiana's state. Trinity reached over and comforted her by scratching Abby's ears.

"It'll be okay Abby...she'll wake up. Xerosic promised me that he would do everything he could to get her back on her feet and feeling better. Even though I don't like the man...he still promised to do what he said he would do..." Trinity sighed as she stood over Tiana and gently stroked her hair.

"I miss you sis...I miss you so much it hurts..." Trinity said as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I wish you could talk to me. I feel as though I'm alone here. I did everything that was asked of me in hopes that you would get better soon. I did the right thing, didn't I Tiana? They were in the way...they needed to be taken out of the picture...this is all for you..." Trinity sniffled, trying her hardest not to full on bawl.

"It was all for the best...now that they are out of the way...and Diantha has to deal with hostages as well as Looker...nobody will think to stop us. And then...you'll be healed. I'll get to hug you again and have you hug me back Tiana..." Trinity said as she gave Tiana a hug which she knew her sister wouldn't be aware of.

Abby nuzzled into Trinity's side and looked over at Tiana. Abby remembered the first day she'd met Tiana. She was a curious little child indeed. At five years old, she was incredibly energetic. Abby remembered Trinity and her sister riding on her back, when they were small enough to do so at the same time...Trinity was light enough for her to handle alone now, but that was it.

Trinity's holo caster went off, causing her to grumble. They knew she was going to visit her sister today, so why were they bothering her? Snarling, she picked up the device and opened it up to see who it was. Xerosic's pudgy face appeared, much to her dismay.

"What, Xerosic?" She said in an annoyed tone.

"I was just checking to see if you were in Geosenge and had made it safely. I trust Aliana and Bryony weren't a burden...I know how those two can be..." Xerosic chuckled.

"Well, if by not being a burden, you mean not going on about their hair and such...then no...they weren't. Surprisingly they were rather focused. It looks like they're working on that evolutionary gun again. They're probably making modifications to it so they can evolve any Pokemon they catch without the fear of repercussions like last time...that was just sloppy..." Trinity said with a grimace.

"Yes, that was a bit of a messy situation now wasn't it? At least they were able to see that it worked...before you destroyed it. But, you had your reasons as Celosia explained. We were set back slightly due to that interference on your part, but it was to keep your cover...well played Trinity..." Xerosic grinned.

"Thanks...and don't forget what you promised me...I hope you plan to hold up on your end of the bargain..." Trinity said with narrowed eyes.

"Of course I plan to. You will see your sister in no time at all. It might take a little while for the preparations to be completed but soon, very soon she shall be well again," Xerosic promised.

"Good...I want to feel her hug me back...you know that is what I want more than anything at this point..." Trinity stated firmly, glancing over at Tiana while Abby nuzzled her.

"Not to worry, everything will be just fine, in any case, I know you're busy, so I will leave you to it. Bryony and Aliana are heading out in a a few hours. They will be coming back here so make sure to go with them. We need to make sure everyone knows what to do next. We will be having a meeting. That is all..." Xerosic winked out.

"I hate meetings..." Trinity grumbled, putting down her holo caster and turning towards Tiana.

A sigh escaped her lips as memories once again flooded her mind...

The rain was falling hard in Aquacorde Town and Trinity was sleeping soundly in her bed. Abby was at the foot of the bed, curled up on the mattress sound asleep. The door to Trinity's room opened up and little Tiana snuck inside quietly. Thunder ripped through the skies which startled Tiana a little, so much so that she began to cry. Trinity awoke to the sound of her sister crying and slowly sat up.

"What's wrong sissy?" Trinity asked as she saw her sister rubbing her eyes.

"I'm scared, and I had a nightmare...I...can I stay with you sis?" Tiana sniffled, hugging her Teddiursa plushie close.

Abby had woken up as well to see what the issue was.

"It's okay Tiana. You can stay with Abby and me tonight," Trinity said with a soft smile.

"Thanks sissy..." Tiana said with a sniffle, crawling into bed beside her sister. Abby put her head down again and smiled softly to herself.

"You're welcome Tiana...I love you..." Trinity smiled, running a soft hand through her sister's hair.

"I love you too sissy," Tiana smiled, falling fast asleep.

The memory soon faded as Trinity opened her eyes. She looked over at Tiana with a determined expression.

"We're almost there Tiana...soon you'll be okay. I just want you to know that I love you and I can't wait until you are well again. We can go running with Abby, or even help Mommy cook again...but for right now...we can't do any of those things..." Trinity sighed as she looked over at Abby who had her paws on the bed, looking up at Trinity with a rather worried, yet cute expression.

"Don't worry...you won't need to carry the both of us, Tiana's still small so you can have her ride on you. I know I wear you out," Trinity chuckled.

A knock came to the door as Trinity was looking over Tiana.

"Trinity? We need to be going now. The meeting starts in tonight and we need to get back beforehand," The voice of Bryony called out.

"Yeah, yeah...I know...give me a minute will ya?!" Trinity called back.

Trinity grumbled something inaudible before walking over to Tiana, bending down to kiss her forehead.

"Almost there sis...almost there..." Was all Trinity said before recalling Abby and walking out the door.

Trinity met up with Bryony and Aliana who got out their own flying Pokemon, and sent them out. Bryony got on board a Skarmory while Aliana jumped into a Talonflame. Trinity launched her Hydreigon and the trio took off into the skies towards Lumiose.

Meanwhile, Tadashi was now leanining his back against the wall after having been fed. He was finally able to sit upright after several nights of struggling to do so. Tadsahi wasn't too fond of his usual visitors and would one day pay them back for their taunting. He still had tape over his lips. They replaced it every time they gave him food. He couldn't have been anymore uncomfortable than he was in that cell.

"Do you feel defeated Tadashi..." The man in the other cell called to him, not even looking his way as he spoke.

'Of course I do...I don't have my team...and what's worse, my friends aren't here!' Tadashi snarled in his mind, wishing to Arceus the man could hear him.

"I know you must feel helpless...I fear that this is all because of what happened long ago..." The man said as he turned to look at Tadashi.

"I suppose I should tell you this now...since you're going to be here for a while..." The man said with a gruff sigh.

"A terribly long time ago, there lived a man and a Pokemon. The two were very happy together...and the man loved that Pokemon more than anything he'd ever known. The two were inseperable. Years later...a great war broke out and the Pokemon decided that it was their duty to participate in that war. The man worried for his Pokemon and wanted to protest...but the Pokemon insisted..." The man sighed, turning away for a moment as he continued.

"Days turned into months...and months into years and the man heard nothing of his beloved Pokemon. One day, as he sat outside of his home, a box was delivered to him in the shape of a coffin with a flower design on it. Devastated, the man wept for his fallen Pokemon for days at a time. After much thought, he decided that he was going to find a way to bring his beloved Pokemon back to life...no matter what it took," The man continued with a sigh.

Tadashi looked at the man rather bewildered. What did any of this have to do with their current situation? He couldn't make heads or tails of it. Was this man crazy? Or was he trying to tell him something? Tadashi had no choice but to continue listening.

"He labored for days...sometimes without rest as he constructed a machine that would have the power to bring his Pokemon back to life. Some said it was impossible...but he didn't believe in that word. He continued on with his work, tirelessly until after months of labor, it was completed. After the preperations had been made, he started up the machine and with the energy he'd collected...brought his beloved friend back to life. The joy he felt in that moment was unexplainable. But this was not enough for him...he'd endured too much pain. He could never forgive the world for what it had done to his friend," the man continued, staring intently at Tadashi.

"He began to work on the machine again, rage still in his heart for what he world had done. He was sick of the war that was tearing apart the land. So he decided that enough was enough. Having finished the new modifications to the machine he turned it into the Ultimate Weapon. It was madness...he became the harbringer of destruction and put the war to an abrupt end. Destruction rained from the heavens and tore through the land..." The man said with a sigh as he glanced down at his feet.

"His beloved Pokemon must have known the cost it took to bring him back. It must have known that many lives of Pokemon were sacrificed for that man's selfish desires. After seeing what the man had become, he was saddened...deeply, and left the man. I know you are probably wondering what this has to do with our predicament...and I am going to tell you. This has everything to do with it. The Ultimate Weapon that I described is going to be used by Team Flare. They have the key to activate it...but for some reason they are hesitating. I can't be certain as to why...but they must be stopped...and you are the one to do it..." The man said with a determined expression.

'Is this guy...delusional? I'm clearly tied up...and I can't even speak at the moment because of this stupid tape...I'm not about to stop anyone like this...' Tadashi sighed.

'He still hasn't realized it yet...but he will soon. For now...all we can do is sit here until this either blows over, or we are rescued...' The man thought with a sigh.

'Arceus...help us all...'

_**It's short, I know...but it was meant to be that way! Trinity had a little walk down memory lane and we got to see her interact more with her (albeit unconscious) sister. What will happen next? And what was with AZ telling Tadashi all of that? By the way...how did my rendition of it go? I wanted to add more detail to it. The story in the game was nice, but it felt a little cut and dry to me. Anyway, find out what happens next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	31. Chapter 31

** Aloha again everyone! Mango here with another update! What? He's really cramming them in isn't he? Yes...I am...and I'm not ashamed! So, how did you like the last installment. I know it was a little bit strange writing AZ the way that I did. But I had to add the big guy in somehow...some way. Nah, I planned it to be this way. Anyway, you all can just sit back, and relax because I'm gonna slow things down again. So kick back and enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 31: A Little Boy's Dream**

It seemed as though the days were passing rather slow. They had been in captivity for a week straight and were now in the middle of the second week. Jake was sitting against the wall, rather uncomfortable to say the least. The smell within the prison was unbearable to say the least. He was just waking up as the sound of a rather beautiful voice caught his attention.

"And I remember all those crazy things you said. You left them running through my head. You're always there, you're everywhere. But right now I wish you were here. All those crazy things we did. Didn't think about it, just went with it. You're always there, you're everywhere...But right now...I wish you were here..." Clarice sang to herself as she looked down at her feet.

Jake couldn't believe his ears. Clarice was singing. This entire time she'd done nothing but mope and cry. What possessed her to suddenly sing? Also...she was really good at it too. It was like seeing a completely different side of her. Catching sight of Jake looking her way, Clarice blushed slightly and stopped singing.

"S-sorry...did I wake you?" Clarice inquired, feeling rather embarrassed.

"You pretty much woke us all up..." Victor grumbled, not liking having to wake up when he didn't have to.

"Did I ask you?" Clarice snarled, causing Victor to sweat-drop.

"You have a lovely voice Clarice..." Madeline said with a soft smile.

"Th-thank you Madeline...that's very kind of you..."Clarice said as she looked up at the ceiling.

"So...who was the song for?" Madeline teased, causing Clarice to blush profusely.

"Nobody! I just wanted to sing it is all!" Clarice shot back, not doing a very good job on hiding the fact that she was lying.

"Oh really? Because I know that was the pre-chorus to 'Wish You Were Here' by Avril Lavigne...and as we all know, there is one person that is not here...hmmm, I wonder who that could be?" Madeline snickered.

Clarice huffed and looked away, her face giving practically everything away at this point. Victor didn't even have to say the words that came out of his mouth next, but he had to.

"I knew you liked him!" Victor laughed, nearly doubling over at this point.

"Victor...I swear to Arceus if and when we get out of here I'm going to shove my foot so far up your rear end it will come out your mouth..." Clarice snarled.

"Yeah, but as long as your feet are still shackled and we're in separate cells, I'm safe!" Victor chortled.

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" Clarice growled.

"I don't think, I know..." Victor said with a smirk.

Jake simply rolled his eyes as he watched the two bicker. They seemed to always be like this. Ever since he'd met them they have always argued. It usually followed up with Clarice dealing a, quite literal, low blow. The two never seemed to get along but then again...there were times when they did. Jake hadn't been around them long enough to see everything they went through, but after Clarice had apologised to him, he knew their friendship had improved.

"So...Jake?" Madeline interrupted, causing Clarice and Victor to quit exchanging verbal blows for a moment so she could speak.

"Why did you set out on a journey? I know that everyone gets their license at an early age...but everyone has a reason. What's yours?" Madeline inquired.

Blake slowly woke up at the sound of Madeline's voice, rubbing his head with his shackled hands as best he could.

"It's...a bit of a long story...I'm not sure you all wanna hear it...it's silly," Jake sighed, looking away as he spoke.

"Oh come now, it can't be that bad, let's hear it," Clarice chimed in, seemingly curious to hear the tale.

"Well, if you insist...it all goes back to when I saw a Champion battle. This was about two years ago...you see, I'm from the Sinnoh region so that's where this takes place..." Jake said as his mind went back to the day he saw a Pokemon League match.

It was a bright and sunny day and the stadium was packed with onlookers and all of them were there for one purpose. To see who would battle against the Champion, Cynthia. Nine year old Jake was standing next to his mother who had gotten them special seats in the stands so they could be close to the action.

There were many spectacular battles that took place that very day. It was getting down to the wire as many of them ended in rapid succession until two competitors were left to see who would go on to face Cynthia. The battle was fierce, but eventually a boy about three years older than Jake, came out on top. His team was incredible. He had an Empoleon, a Staraptor, Luxray, Heracross, Weavile, and Milotic. His team was a terror on the battle field and left many trainers at a loss for how to deal with it.

"And the match is over! The victory goes to Daniel!" The referee announced as Daniel returned his Milotic to her ball.

"After a brief intermission, Daniel will fight Cynthia for a shot at the title! Will he succeed, or will Cynthia remain seated on the Champion's throne?!" An announcer called out which got the crowd excited.

Jake was incredibly excited since this would be the first time he saw Cynthia battle. He heard about how strong she was, but now he actually would get to see her in action. He was turning ten soon, and he wanted to set out on a journey of his own. But his mother wanted him to see what becoming a trainer meant. Jake thought it was just about gathering up strong Pokemon and having them fight for him. That was a very basic and not so good way of looking at it. It also proved that he wasn't quite ready to start as soon as he hoped.

Soon it was time for the battle to begin and the two competitors made their way onto the field. Daniel had a determined look within his dark brown hues. He ran a hand through his jet black hair and breathed deeply.

'Okay Daniel...you've made it this far. This is your chance...she's right there. This is what you've trained for. This is your moment...so let's make it count...prove to the world that you are strong...' Daniel thought as he closed his eyes.

Cynthia had that same mysterious smile she always wore, plastered on her face. She could tell that this battle was going to be fun. She'd seen this trainer fight tooth and nail to get to this point and she knew he wasn't going to give in without a fight. Despite her position as the Champion, Cynthia was never inclined to take it easy on an opponent. And she wasn't going to start now.

"This match is between Cynthia; the Champion, and Daniel! This will be a full battle. Best of luck to you both! Now, let's get this underway!" The announcer called out.

"Okay...Empoleon, let's do this!" Daniel called out as he sent out the massive steel-water penguin.

"Garchomp, let's do it!" Cynthia stated, sending out her strongest Pokemon, much to the confusion of Jake who was watching.

"Momma? Isn't Garchomp a dragon-ground type? And Empoleon is a water-steel type...so that means it has the advantage over Garchomp right?" Jake inquired curiously.

"As true as that is, you're overlooking something. Garchomp isn't weak to water, nor is she weak to steel. He's damaged normally by them so in essence...Empoleon doesn't have type advantage...however, it is a well trained Empoleon. But I don't think Cynthia would send out her strongest for no reason. Just watch my son, you will learn what it means to truly be strong..." Jake's mother said with a soft smile.

"Empoleon, use aqua jet!" Daniel ordered.

Empoleon obeyed and rocketed forwards at breakneck speeds. Aqua jet was a priority move, giving him the jump on the battle. However, something didn't seem right...Cynthia wasn't the least bit concerned.

"Let it get in close...then use brick break!" Cynthia commanded.

Empoleon continued to surge forwards, and it looked as though the attack would connect. Garchomp powered up one of her claws in a white glowing aura. The dragon swung her claw downward and slammed it into Empoleon harshly, sending it crashing into the ground, forming a crater. The dust soon cleared and Empoleon was seen out cold lying on the ground.

"Empoleon is unable to battle...Garchomp wins!" The referee declared.

Daniel was stunned. One strike was all it took for Garchomp to dispatch Empoleon. Just how strong was it? Empoleon, as far as he remembered, could take quite a beating, but that was just astonishing.

"Empoleon, return!" Daniel called out as he returned Empoleon to his ball.

"You were a bit too hasty with that attack Daniel...rushing in recklessly isn't going to get you a quick victory...I hope that was a lesson to you..." Cynthia stated firmly.

"That was just luck, I know Empoleon could take more damage than that!" Daniel said as he took out his next Pokemon.

"Go Staraptor!" Daniel cried out, sending forth the powerful bird into battle.

'So, he thinks he can get the jump on me by taking it too the air huh? I suppose I'll have to teach him a thing or two more about how Garchomp and I do things...' Cynthia thought as she kept Garchomp on the field.

"She's keeping Garchomp on the field? But he doesn't have any attacks that can deal with Staraptor, he's a flying type, Garchomp is a dragon-ground type..." Jake mumbled, clearly forgetting about the battle that took place prior to this fight.

"I think Cynthia knows that Staraptor is safe from ground attacks...but she also knows that there is more to battle than just an advantage. Just pay attention..." Jakes mother insisted.

"Staraptor, use brave bird!" Daniel commanded.

Staraptor encased itself in a brilliant azure energy and propelled itself forwards at blinding speed. Cynthia, once again, remained unfazed. She simply waited until the correct moment to act.

"Dragon rush!" Cynthia called out.

Garchomp roared as she took in draconic energies, forming them around her body before racing forwards at an accelerated rate. The impact caused tremors on the battlefield and smoke covered the field. A figure flew out of the smoke and landed harshly on the ground, unable to get back up.

"Staraptor is unable to battle! Garchomp wins!" The referee declared.

Daniel once again was left in total shock. Once more, his Pokemon was taken down in a single hit. The power of the Champion seemed almost unreal. How could anyone be that good?

"There you go again...didn't you learn anything from the last matchup? You're not going to win against Garchomp that way..." Cynthia sighed, shaking her head at Daniel.

Daniel recalled Staraptor and glanced down at his Pokemon. His eyes shifted over towards Cynthia and her seemingly unstoppable Garchomp.

'How am I going to get past it? That Garchomp is ridiculously overpowered...and to top it off it's pseudo-legendary! None of the Pokemon in my arsenal are going to be able to compete with that...but I have to try...I have to!' Daniel thought as he grabbed his next pokeball with determination.

"Weavile, let's go!" Daniel called out, sending out the dark-ice type.

'So he's sending out something with a little more speed on it. And to top it off...it's an ice-dark subtype. This should be interesting...however, speed won't mean anything if it doesn't land any hits...' Cynthia thought to herself as she awaited Daniel's next attack.

"Weavile, use ice beam, then close in with quick attack!" Daniel commanded.

Weavile nodded and powered up a powerful ice beam and launched it at Garchomp who stood there unmoving once again. Daniel couldn't help but wonder why she never moved Garchomp very much. What was her strategy? Cynthia could compile dozens of on-the-fly strategies and it appeared that she was doing the same here. The beam got closer.

"Garchomp, dodge to the left...and use brick break!" Cynthia commanded.

As the words left her mouth, Garchomp avoided the ice beam and brought her claw down right where Weavile was going to end up after using quick attack. The claw struck Weavile over the head with devastating force and sent it crashing into the ground. Fighting type moves were several times more deadly to it, thus another knock out for Cynthia.

"Wow, momma! That was amazing!" Jake exclaimed, his eyes shimmering with delight as he watched how strong Cynthia was.

"How does she stay so calm when her Pokemon is at such a disadvantage?" Jake inquired curiously.

"It's because she knows what to do in order to get around her disadvantages. She builds her strategy off of how the opponent attacks and then uses that strategy against them. Daniel here, is being too direct which ends up backfiring because Cynthia has dealt with a lot of trainers like that in the past. She's able to stay completely composed at this point without a hint of wavering confidence. She's like an impassive fortress. Her mind in battle...is like a steel trap..." Jake's mother explained with a smirk.

Jake's mother at one point was a serious contender herself when she was a trainer. The ins and outs of battle just came naturally and with time for her. She, like Cynthia, used a variety of Pokemon instead of focusing on one specialization. She was incredibly skilled. She retired her badge hunting days in her late twenties and settled down and thus...well...Jake.

Daniel recalled Weavile and shook his head. He couldn't get over it. What did he have to do to make some headway?

'Okay...she's downed three of my Pokemon...and hers doesn't look the least bit tired...I have to wear it out somehow. Come on Daniel...you didn't make it this far to be taken down now...but...why am I slipping up so much? I didn't make this many mistakes before, so why now?' Daniel thought as he looked down at Milotic's pokeball.

"Milotic, you're up!" Daniel shouted as he threw her onto the field.

Cynthia couldn't help but smile as she saw Milotic appear. She could see that he was finally starting to understand what she'd been trying to tell him. He wasn't going to win with just an all out assault. But would Milotic be enough? She'd just have to wait and see.

"Milotic, use ice beam on the arena!" Daniel shouted.

Milotic powered up her ice beam and blasted the arena with its power. The entire arena froze in what appeared to be seconds under Garchomp's feet. Garchomp still stood there, unmoving until Cynthia gave orders.

'Good...now Garchomp won't be able to sidestep everything and will need to force himself into the air...this means I can keep him at bay while I figure out a strategy...' Daniel thought.

"Milotic, ice beam again!" Daniel called out.

"Garchomp...go airborn..." Cynthia commanded, causing Garchomp to fly upwards to avoid the oncoming super-effective attack.

"Use hydro pump!" Daniel commanded.

Milotic gathered aquatic energies into her mouth before firing a powerful blast of water towards Garchomp's next position. Garchomp halted just before so she could avoid the assault.

"Don't let up!" Daniel called out to Milotic, who fired more hydro pumps into the air.

'So...he's stalling...he knows that if Garchomp can't get in close she can't hit Milotic. Clever...he must have figured out that Garchomp knows mainly physical attacks...however, there's one attack he didn't count on...' Cynthia thought with a sly smile.

"Garchomp, descend and use earthquake!" Cynthia cried out.

Garchomp nodded an affirmative and descended swiftly, narrowly avoiding a hydro pump before slamming her feet into the icy floor below, shattering it, sending out shockwaves that made the stadium tremble. The shockwaves caused Milotic to be blow backwards from the force of the attack.

"Dragon rush!" Cynthia called out, spotting an opening.

Garchomp obeyed without question, gathering draconic aura around her frame as she shot forwards. Propelling herself at sonic speeds, she slammed into the already damaged Milotic, driving it into the ground until they skidded to a stop. Garchomp stood over a knocked out Milotic and looked down at it triumphantly. Cynthia simply smiled to herself at how it played out.

'That was a little better this go around...he formed a different strategy...but it's gonna take a lot more than that to take down Garchomp. He's only got two left...' Cynthia thought as she glanced over at Daniel.

The rest of the match was over fairly quickly after Daniel's Heracross went down. Luxray stood absolutely no chance against Garchomp. Daniel was at a loss for words. She had just taken down all six of his team with just one Pokemon. One. He couldn't wrap his mind around it. Was her strength that bottomless? Or did she just have better tactics? He couldn't figure it out.

"Daniel..." Cynthia said as she walked up to him, a slight smile fixated on her features as she reached her hand out to him.

"You did well, I saw that you improved your strategy towards the end which showed you were learning. I see why you got to me and why you achieved all of the victories that you did. But you overlooked something. You were too focused on winning and you forgot to consider your opponent. When you started your battle with me, you were overconfident. As you might have guessed, I saw through it and well...you saw the results. If you want to become Champion...you need to be more humble in your approach. Be wise, yet fierce when needed. You began to learn this lesson a little late...but anytime is better than none..." Cynthia said with a soft smile.

"I...I think I understand. It wasn't necessarily that I had an advantage in some of the fights...it was because you understood Garchomp and your connection with her was incredibly deep. Had I been able to see that...things probably would have been a little different," Daniel said with a nervous laugh.

"Garchomp and I have been together a long time. She trains with me each day and we grow in strength together. Remember to build that bond with your Pokemon and there won't be a wall you can't tear down. I look forward to seeing you again some day...Daniel. Perhaps we'll battle again and see how you improve," Cynthia said as she turned around and walked out of the stadium.

"I think I get it now momma..." Jake said as he watched Cynthia exit the stadium.

"It's not the strength of the Pokemon that counts the most...but the bond they share with the trainer. It took me a while to see that, but after seeing this, I now have a more clear understanding about it...I still have a lot to learn about Pokemon so I'm going to wait a while longer before my journey. Will you teach me momma?" Jake inquired, looking up at his mother with a smile.

A proud smile appeared on Jake's mother's face as she leaned down to hug him, pulling him in to kiss his cheeks a few times before setting him down.

"Of course sweetie, I'm so proud of you..." She said with a smile.

"And one day, I'll be a strong as Cynthia...or any of the Champions, you'll see momma!" Jake said enthusiastically.

"I'm sure you will son...I'm sure you will..." His mother smiled, ruffling his hair.

The group wandered out of Jake's memory lane and smiled softly at one another.

"So...your dream is to become Champion one day huh? Wow, that's a big dream. That story you told about watching Cynthia was inspiring. I've heard of how strong she was, but that just sounds ridiculous. I mean...I know Garchomp is a powerful Pokemon but...defeating six consecutively? What the heck did she feed that thing? Did she have it overdose on protein or something?" Clarice inquired, tilting her head slightly at Jake.

"Nope, she trained with Garchomp every day, testing her limits and growing their bonds. And that's how I plan to keep doing things..." Jake said as he leaned back.

"I see...so that's how he beat me..." Clarice muttered to herself, remembering the battle she had with Tadashi the second time around.

"Well, I for one, would have loved to have seen that battle. Cynthia is an amazing Champion in Sinnoh. I'm surprised we haven't seen any matches between the Champions of each region. I don't know about you guys, but I'd like to see Cynthia facing off against Diantha. It would be an amazing match!" Victor said with a grin.

"I don't know, maybe Steven squaring off against Wallace would be entertaining..." Madeline interjected.

"That would be a long battle..." Blake commented, knowing the capabilities of each Champion, considering he had a book on each of them.

"Regardless...it would be cool. But...we still have one problem. We're stuck here!" Clarice snarled, clenching her fists as she stared at the prison bars.

"I know...but we'll get out of here...somehow..." Victor said as he glanced towards the door to see a grunt come inside and walk down the hall. There was a tray filled with food, compliments of Lysandre.

Even though they were captives, they were still given decent meals. Oddly enough...this was from the Restraunt Le Wow! Lysandre didn't like to settle for anything less than the best. And even though the gang was imprisoned, he wouldn't stoop to giving them garbage food.

The shackles were unlocked when the grunt stepped outside. He watched them carefully as they ate. He knew none of them had any Pokemon on them as they'd been confiscated before being imprisoned. After they'd all finished eating, the grunt took out the remote lock and secured their shackles once more.

The grunt took the empty plates and left without a word.

Tadashi had been given his rations by his two least favorite visitors. For some reason they heightened security with him. Then again, he was the presumed leader of the group. Keeping him in a separate holding cell than the others was an effective way to keep the morale low. After finishing his food, the plate was taken away and he was locked up again. Once more, their usual hazing took place just to keep him shaken up. His mouth was taped up again and they walked out of the room.

Tadashi could hardly stand it. He wanted to break free. He wanted to rescue his friends. But...who would rescue him? He also worried about his mother. She hadn't heard from Tadashi in weeks. He knew how she worried and if she found out he was captured...she'd freak and he knew it. A sigh left his taped up lips as he glanced over at the cell next to him. The man was asleep at this point, probably tired.

Tadashi had to figure out a way to get out of his predicament. But there were too many emotions running through his mind for him to think clearly. What could he do? He hated being so useless. Team Flare was wreaking havoc everywhere they went and were getting more aggressive.

A few days prior, they had raised hell in the Ice Cavern, causing multiple Pokemon to run in panic. They caught several powerful ones and attacked anyone who got in their way, even those who trained in the cavern. He knew this because Aliana and Bryony would fill his ears with what was going on, only because they knew he couldn't stop them. Such arrogance.

The days were getting longer it seemed. Tadashi was running out of time. He hadn't the slightest idea of how to get out of the situation he was in. Night was beginning to descend upon them, which meant he'd be encased in utter darkness. He was tired...and things weren't getting any better. Before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep, unaware of anything around him at this point.

'Tadashi...one who will save man and Pokemon alike...it's time for you to realize your power...'

_**And another chapter done! I hope it was enjoyable. Considering that Cynthia is my favorite Champion (yes, I jumped on Team Cynthia..B) deal with it...). I just loved how she was portrayed in the games and how balanced her team was compared to most Champions. Diantha comes in the second slot. Anywho, everyone got to learn a little more about why Jake wanted to be a trainer and the purpose of his journey. What else is in store for the gang? Find out later on in the next installment of The Flames of Revolution! **_


	32. Chapter 32

**Aloha everyone! I hope you all are enjoying the journey! I sure as heck am! Before the next chapter starts, I want to give a shout out to PG-13 for helping me with this chapter. I was at a crossroads and they came up with a great idea which really helped me out as I was at a bit of a loss for how to do this. So, that being said, I hope you're ready...because this is going to be one heck of a ride! 'Area scanned...battle mode setup, ready? FIGHT!' (Yeah...I'm a fan of that anime... B/ Deal with it...) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo.**

**Chapter 32: Awakening and Redemption, Part 1**

The doors to the laboratory opened and Xerosic strolled in casually, adjusting his orange spectacles as he sought out Lysandre. The man in question was standing next to Celosia who was working on fine tuning the evolution ray along with several others that had been duplicated over the past few weeks.

"So...it's fully functional then? No drawbacks?" Lysandre questioned, getting a nod from Celosia.

"Indeed, we managed to replicate our previous work and added a few modifications to it. Team Rocket was...and still is ridiculously good with this sort of tech..." Celosia stated as she put the finishing touches on the ray.

Bryony and Aliana stepped through the doors alongside Mable who came in the night prior from her duties in Geosenge. Lysandre turned to meet them, his gaze falling on Xerosic whom he assumed had an update for him.

"Lysandre..." Xerosic began, clearing his throat.

"The energy we have been gathering for the Ultimate Weapon is reaching its final stages. The power source will soon be drained of the remaining energy that it can spare. I'm guesstimating about another days worth and the machine will be ready for the final part of our plan..." Xerosic grinned.

"Very good Xerosic...soon this world will be cleansed off all the filth on its surface. People may see us as mad but I prefer the term idealists..." Lysandre stated as he turned to his scientists.

"Fairly soon, those who have not bended to our will shall be destroyed...it's a pity that their lives will be cut short so soon," Lysandre sighed, walking out of the lab.

"Sometimes...I feel that the burden placed upon my shoulders is more trouble than it's worth, but this must be done for the world to be cleansed..." Lysandre sighed.

Xerosic simply nodded and turned to his fellow scientists, observing the work on the evolutinary ray they had recreated.

"So...we'll take this with us to Geosenge...and enact the plans tomorrow right?" Xerosic inquired, picking up one of five copies of the machine.

"Yes...this will be able to help generate more energy for the Ultimate Weapon. Fully evolved Pokemon are more capable of stronger outputs than other Pokemon are. Fortunately...the brats we ended up capturing had tons of fully evolved ones on them. That should help us out greatly, though we will need far more..." Celosia said with a devious grin.

"Ho-ho, that is most excellent. We will take their Pokemon there and offer their energy as well. This seems a bit like adding insult to injury. First we captured them, now we're putting their Pokemon out of their misery...it's all too perfect!" Xerosic grinned.

"So...I take it you're heading to Geosenge now? I'm guessing you're going to check on the energy supply and determine how much longer...though you did say a day...that Pokemon has a lot of energy..." Celosia said with a smirk.

"Indeed it does, but what can you expect from a Legendary? It practically has infinite reserves..." Xerosic laughed, turning to walk away.

"That reminds me...Xerosic, what will Trinity's role be in this? I don't believe we discussed much with her. She still believes you're going to help her sister recover...it probably hasn't dawned on her yet that this entire time you had no intention of helping her...and just wanted a strong trainer in the Inferno Branch to do your bidding..." Celosia stated, placing her right hand on her hip as she spoke.

"If she truly wants her sister to live, she will obey any orders given to her. And if she wants her parents to remain alive as well...she won't disobey..." Xerosic chuckled.

"Not that any of that will matter...since her parents chose to not join us, they will be wiped out with the rest of them..." Xerosic smirked.

"You truly are sinister aren't you? Well, safe travels to you on your way to Geosenge..." Celosia chuckled.

"Thank you, it will be enjoyable to see the progress that has been made..." Xerosic grinned as he exited the lab.

"Xerosic...is a very strange man at times..." Bryony stated, Aliana nodding in agreement.

"Very...but he's a genius. Without him, we wouldn't have gotten as far as we have now. In any case...get ready for the next phase of the operation..." Celosia commanded.

On another section of the lab, Trinity seemed to be in a fairly good mood. Tomorrow was supposedly the day that Xerosic would have the cure to whatever ailment her sister had, ready. She didn't have anything major to do at the moment, so she decided to take a peak at Xerosic's computer considering he would be gone for a day. She was told that he was going there to administer some treatment to Tiana and then finish working on some grand project that Team Flare had in the works. As far as she knew, Team Flare had promised to make the world a better place. Although...their methods of doing so seemed to say otherwise.

There was talk about a device that could cleanse the world of filth and purify the land entirely. What she wasn't told, was that it was a guise for a mass genocide of anyone who didn't join them. She knew she was working for a criminal organization, or what the world saw as one anyway. She still didn't like it...but she knew she had to do it, for Tiana's sake.

'Let's see...where's that file...there has to be something in here about the cure he mentioned. He said he had it saved onto his computer. This thing was enough trouble to hack...he must have some pretty good stuff on here if he put that many passcodes and security walls on it. Then again...he is a scientist...' Trinity sighed as she skimmed through each of the files.

One of them was called, 'Flames of Revolution.' This file greatly interested her as she'd heard several of her superiors and subordinates use that term. One individual in particular who was named Tyson...used it frequently. The file was zipped. Figures, she would have to find a way around that. It took her a few minutes, but she managed to get by the security on the file and opened it to view its contents.

"Let's see..." She said to herself as she began to look at the file.

'It seemed as though our research wasn't getting us anywhere. The more my comrades and I worked, the more we struggled. It felt like our efforts to come up with a solution to the problem this world faced were in vain. Celosia and I labored tirelessly alongside Bryony, Aliana and Mable. All hope seemed lost. But our leader, Lysandre, never gave up on his dream for a more pure world...'

Trinity continued reading, quirking a brow as she went along. She couldn't make sense of everything as of yet.

'It has been two years now since we went into hiding. But this gave us enough time to accomplish our purpose. We were close to our goal and would not be deterred. We searched on for a source powerful enough to give us the energy that we desired. After the discovery of the Ultimate Weapon, we knew that our goals would be closer to being fulfilled and that our dream of a more pure world would become a reality...'

Trinity paused for a moment as she read back to the term 'Ultimate Weapon.' She couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew she'd heard that term somewhere before. An image of a rather tall man with long gray hair flashed through her mind, giving her memory a bit of a boost as she remembered why the term was familiar. Still, she kept reading.

'Today's labors bore much fruit...after an unexpected incident at a Pokemon Center I managed to recruit a young girl by the name of Trinity to our ranks. She is a very talented young lady who knows how to fight...unlike some of the incompetent grunts that I work with. She was an excellent choice for the Inferno Branch. Putting her in charge had to be the best idea yet. She will do anything now that her sister's life is in my hands. It's amazing how easily persuaded someone can be when a loved one's life is hanging in the balance. To keep Trinity's loyalty, I will treat the girl from time to time...but even I can't fully cure her.'

The file continued on, and Trinity found herself getting more confused by the second. What was all of this?

'After checking up on Tiana, I checked on the progress of the Ultimate Weapon. The power needed to fire it is still being transported. It took a lot of trouble to find...but with that power source in place, we will be able to generate several times the energy than before. However...we will still need to use the magic of the stones outside of Geosenge. My cohorts and I are working on something rather fantastic. After finding the blue prints for evolutionary technology that Team Rocket created years ago, we discovered a way to take it a step further...an evolutionary ray!'

Trinity skimmed through the mess in between to see if there was anymore mentioning of her sister. This was beginning to concern her now.

'The time is almost here. Once the energy of that Pokemon is absorbed, our dream will finally be realized. The world will be cleansed of the filth who walk it and we, Team Flare will breath the oxygen of a more pure world...It's a shame so many will have to die in the process. But those who do not choose our side have chosen to be against us and therefore must be destroyed. Selfish individuals must cease to exist...'

Trinity's eyes went wide as she read this. What was going on? She knew that Team Flare was a crazy organization bent on the destruction of everything that stood between them and their ideals but this was just crazy. On top of that...it didn't look as though Xerosic was going to follow through on his end of the deal. This alarmed her the most. Nowhere in that file did it mention anything about healing her sister. She frantically searched for another file that could put her mind at ease. She came up empty handed.

Her world began to spin. She had been fed a pack of lies. Her mind suddenly went into a panicked state.

'What have I done? I...I trusted that man! He said he would help me! He said that he would save my sister!' She thought as tears of anger mixed with overwhelming sorrow flowed down her cheeks.

She slammed her fists onto the keyboard and turned away, doing everything she could to keep from screaming at the top of her lungs. Memories began to flood her mind as she processed all she had read. Tadashi's face came into view along with the others. She clasped her hand over her mouth in the realization that she had just endangered the entire world. By aiding Team Flare, she had captured the only individuals that had successfully put a stop to their plans time and time again.

'How could I do such a thing...Tirana...I'm sorry...I've failed you...' She sobbed.

As she cried, she remembered something very critical that could possibly prevent this disaster from happening. It was a long shot but it would have to work. She knew where the poke balls of everyone were being held. But first...she needed to get Tadashi's. Wiping her face and straightening up, she walked out of the lab and made her way to a different corner of the base. Since she was a member of the Inferno Branch, she was able to walk through the doors to the room where everyone's poke balls were with no difficulty. She had been in there several times before.

'Hmm...gonna need to be fast. The cameras in here are rarely turned on. They're off for now...but I don't know for how long...' Trinity thought with a determined expression.

She looked at the computer before her and instantly got to work. She needed to find everyone's Pokemon and that was going to take some time. She needed to work fast. Time was of the essence.

'Okay...I think they are in here... Let's see...no, no, no, nope...no, wait...how did that get in there? Okay...no, no, hold on! Yes! This is it!' She thought excitedly, her fingers rapidly hitting the keys in order to get the extraction process going.

'Now...where is that bag?' She thought as she looked around in the storage closet.

'Perfect...wow...could it have been in anymore of an obvious place?' Trinity thought as she picked up Tadashi's bag.

'Okay...time to load it up...I highly doubt they will be excited to see me though...' Trinity sighed as she gathered all the poke balls and exited.

Tadashi was sitting in his cell against the wall with a disheartened look on his face. He felt like giving up at this point. What else was he going to do? He did not have his friends with him. He had none of his Pokemon and to top it all off he was bound at the wrists and ankles and had duct tape over his mouth. He couldn't even scream if he wanted to. He had given up days ago trying to think of a way out.

"So...is that it? There is a look of defeat in your eyes Tadashi...have you given up?" The man inquired, causing Tadashi to raise a brow.

'It's not like I can do anything here...I mean look at me old man...I am bound and can't move at all...why am I even bothering? It's not like he can read my thoughts...' Tadashi sighed, slumping against the wall.

"You don't have a clue do you boy?" The man inquired, getting Tadashi to turn towards him.

"I have witnessed countless things in my lifetime... But what is before me cannot be explained logically. I know you aren't stupid boy...the power you possess is more than enough to speak for itself..." The man stated firmly.

'Power? What's he talking ab-" He froze.

The training that he did with Lucario came rushing back to him. The term 'aura' entered his mind and then...it clicked. He remembered being able to generate the power of a bulk up move. He was taught to wield aura on a fine level and was able to spar with Lucario, almost matching him blow for blow. It all made sense to him now. Seeing the realization in Tadashi's eyes, the man smiled.

Tadashi closed his eyes as he had done the first time he used his aura to draw the energy needed for bulk up. He needed to generate enough power to break through the thin layers of reinforced steel. A powerful azure aura erupted around Tadashi as he drew in energy. His muscles tightened and he could feel power flooding his body. Sweat trickled down Tadashi's face as he took hold of the power and began to pull his arms apart. Soon, the steel shackles that bound him were torn apart, both sides hitting the floor with a clang. The bulk up was successful. With his hands free, he ripped apart the other bindings while the boost in power was still in effect. He could only hold it for so long and he could feel the effects wearing off. It was sad too...he liked the feeling it gave him.

Now that he had that problem out of the way, he needed to get out. The only question was...how? Sure he used bulk up and wrent solid steel with his bare hands...but he wasn't fully used to the changes it brought. Regardless...he needed a way to get out. Once again he channeled the energies for the technique, wincing at the strain his muscles felt as they tightened and became stronger. He then grabbed two of the bars and with his aura charged hands...pried them apart, damaging the other bars to create a path for him to exit.

He then ripped the tape from his mouth and gave an exasperated sigh.

"So you managed to figure it out...good..." The man said with a smirk.

"How did you know I could do that? I barely remembered that I had practiced this...I wa- caught up wallowing in your own self pity?" The man interjected.

"Yeah...that..." Tadashi sighed...shaking his head as he turned around.

"I should probably get you out of there huh?" Tadashi said as he turned to face the giant.

"That would be great...however...you forget one crucial detail...we have no Pokemon..." The man grimaced.

Tadashi sighed. He knew the man was right. Muttering something inaudible, Tadashi tapped into his aura reserves and closed his eyes. Someone was coming. He could only detect one aura signature...but he couldn't be sure who it belonged to. It was female...and that was all he knew. This was quite a situation he had gotten into. He slid over by the door to wait for whoever it was to come by. The moment their head was of in view, he lashed out, knocking them unconscious.

To his surprise, it was not a grunt as he could thought it might have been. It was Trinity. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the traitor. Now that he thought of it, he was glad it was her. He wanted to pay her back for everything she had done and it seemed as though fate placed her right in his lap. It wasn't until he looked at her unconscious body, that he realized she had his backpack on. What's more...it was full...but of what? He opened it up and pokeballs spilled out along with his gloves that held his key stone.

He recognized his pokeballs as well as his friends pokeballs too. This didn't add up. What was she doing with them? More importantly...why did she have one of the remotes that controlled the shackles, on her person?

"It would appear that she is learning her lesson..." The man stated as he glanced over at Tadashi.

"Wait...you mean she actually decided to help us out because of guilt...or is there another reason?" Tadashi inquired, looking down at Trinity with a puzzled expression.

"If you wish to know...wait until she wakes up. You will need her to navigate your way out..." The man said firmly.

"Great...fraternizing with the enemy...as if I didn't do that enough already when she was with us. I am still sore at her for what she did. She better have a good explanation for her actions when she wakes up or she will be taking another long nap..." Tadashi grumbled as he took his backpack and grabbed his team, clipping them to hiqs belt.

He finally had his team back. He could celebrate...but now was not the time. He had to rescue his friends and as much as he hated to admit it...he couldn't do it without Trinity.

'Alright sleeping beauty...rise and shine...'

_**And part one comes to a close! Tadashi tapped into his aura and managed to get loose. Now he has his team back...albeit he knocked out Trinity in the process, a major blunder on his part. Now he has to wait for her to wake up. With that in mind, how was it? I hope it was an enjoyable read. Want to know what happens next? Find out next time on The Flames of Revolution**_!


	33. Chapter 33

**Good morning everyone! How goes it? Mango here with another update! So far things are getting pretty exciting at this point. I hope you are all enjoying this story as much as I am! It's been fun writing this. Any who why don't we get right down to the nitty gritty stuff eh? Hold onto your hats because here. We. Go! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo.**

**Chapter 33: Awakening and Redemption, Part 2**

Time seemed to go by rather slowly. Clarice was humming to herself and the others were occupying themselves with whatever they could to distract from their seemingly hopeless situation. Clarice didn't want to dwell on it...but she couldn't stop thinking about Tadashi. Was he alive? And if he were, was he okay? All of these questions bombarded her mind. Little did she know that Tadashi was just fine.

Tadashi sighed softly as he leaned against the wall next to the propped up unconscious body of Trinity. He couldn't make sense of the situation. Not too long ago she had befriended them and shortly afterwards, she betrayed them. It was so much information to process. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he reached for Lucario's ball, releasing him at once.

'I was wondering how long it would be before I saw you again Tadashi...' Lucario stated as he glanced over at an unconscious Trinity.

'Good to have you back partner...and I am certain you have noticed that I am in a bit of a jam...' Tadashi sighed, glancing at Trinity as she stirred.

'How did she get like that?' Lucario inquired.

'I thought she was a grunt...and when she rounded the corner...well, you can pretty much guess from there,' Tadashi muttered.

'Okay...that explains that...now about the iron bars over there...they look like they have been pried apart...how did you manage that one? Pure adrenaline or were you able to tap into your aura reserves?' Lucario inquired.

'The latter...honestly, as built as I am...don't have the strength to do something like that without help. So I just used bulk up and got out. It is going to take some getting used though...anyway, we have another problem. I need Trinity so I can find everyone...but as you can see...' Tadashi finished.

After he finished speaking, Trinity began to wake up. Her eyes fluttered open and everything came into focus.

"Ow...what the heck hit me?" Trinity groaned, rubbing the back of her head as she looked around.

"You are lucky I didn't break your neck after what you did..." Tadashi said coldly, prompting Trinity to turn towards him, her eyes growing wide with shock.

"Tadashi...I..." She was interrupted as she was lifted from the ground and held against the wall.

A burning sense of hatred could be seen in Tadashi's usually calm emerald hues. Trinity's eyes began to well up with tears as she now feared for her life. She tried to struggle against him but there was something unnatural about him at this point.

"You better have a good reason for what you did...because after several weeks in that stupid cell...I am not a happy camper..." Tadashi growled.

"Alright...alright...I'll talk..." Trinity gasped out as his grip was released from her throat, causing her to fall to the floor.

For the next hour, Trinity broke into what could be considered a heart-wrenching story. Tadashi didn't know what to make of it. She had been a pawn the entire time and was only doing what she did because she thoroughly believed that Xerosic would help her. Tadashi looked down at his hands in disgust. To think he'd nearly choked her out. He felt a soft hand rest upon his own.

"It's okay...I would have done the same if I were in your position... You have every right to hate me..." Trinity sighed, tears flowing down her cheeks.

As she cried, she felt his finger trace under her eyes, wiping the tears away. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked back at Tadashi. Why? Why didn't he just off her and be done with it? Why was he being compassionate? None of it made sense.

"Don't be so hard on yourself... I won't let the girl who saved me and my friends from being burned alive sit here and throw a pity party. So you were deceived... Does that even matter at this point? Right now, like it or not...I need you Trinity...my friends need you...so please, help us..." Tadashi said with a serious expression.

Trinity couldn't fathom it. Just about an hour ago she was nearly killed by the one person she came to rescue. Now he was back to his frustratingly nice self. No wonder Clarice wanted to kiss and strangle him at the same time.

"That was the plan...but first...what. The. Heck?" Trinity said, pointing to the clearly pried apart bars.

"I'll explain that later...right now, let's get the big guy out of here..." Tadashi stated as he looked down at the key card that Trinity now had in her hand.

"Shouldn't we wait...I mean he does kinda stick out doesn't he?" Trinity inquired.

"Point taken...still, he helped me realize something important so I at least owe him something...though I am sure that by the time we get going we will be overrun by security...speaking of...why haven't we been caught yet? I could have sworn there were cameras in here..." Tadash uttered, raising a brow at a now snickering Trinity.

"Oh, there are...but I sorta messed with them a little.." She winked devilishly.

"How did you even...forget it, let's move, I don't want to be here a minute longer..." Tadashi stated as he turned to face the man in the cell.

"Now...how to get you out of here...let's see...Lucario, any ideas?" Tadashi inquired of his partner.

'Are you asking me for a way to get him out of here undetected? Look at him Tadashi...he's nine feet tall...' Lucario muttered.

'I guess that means he with will need to stay there for a while...and if I a correct...in about half an hour those two will be coming around soon...ugh...we need to leave...' Tadashi grumbled.

"Worry not for me Tadashi...it would not do well for me to follow you, considering I have no Pokemon and would only slow you down..." The man stated firmly.

"Okay...know what? Screw it..." Tadashi said, grabbing the key card and unlocking the cell. The man looked up at him in confusion.

Tadashi unlocked the cuffs and stood back as the man got to his feet.

"I am afraid I do not understand..." The man muttered.

"You helped me to realize that I was foolish for thinking of giving up...and I am grateful for that. Also...have you seen yourself? You're a giant...the thought of having you with me as backup is too good to pass up..." Tadadshi grinned.

"Remind me to hit you after this is all said and done..." Trinity grumbled.

Tadashi ignored that comment and glanced back at the man.

"By the way...what's your name?" Tadashi asked curiously.

"AZ..." Was all he said, glancing over at Trinity who looked away guiltily. She had aided in bringing him in too.

"If you are wondering if I will hold grudge against you...I assure you I that I will not. You were as much a victim a I...you really ought to find a way to earn the forgiveness of those you wronged...Clarice especially..." AZ said, gaining a raised brow from Tadashi.

"Wait...how did you know about them...specifically, her?" Trinity inquired.

AZ simply nodded towards Tadashi.

"He mutters in his sleep...I simply did the math..." AZ grunted.

'Someone's lovesick...' Lucario chuckled.

'One more comment like that and I will sick Charizard on you...now return...' Tadashi grumbled, putting Lucario back inside his ball.

"Well, we'd better get going. I have a feeling it's gonna be rough getting out of here..." Trinity muttered.

At that point, the door opened, revealing a very disgruntled looking Tyson, along with several grunts. Houndoom was at his side of course

"Looks like the cameras are back up...so much for a quiet escape..." Trinity muttered.

"YOU!" Tyson roared, his form shaking with rage.

"First, you humiliated me and because of that I wound up going through hell. I am going to make you pay dearly for what you have done!" Tyson bellowed.

"Loud and stupid as usual Tyson..." Trinity sighed, shaking her head.

"And you! Treacherous wench! How dare you turn against us? No...come to think of it, I am glad you did because now, I have reason to torch you like I always wanted to!" Tyson grinned.

"The feeling's mutual...however, I think your punishment knocked a few screws loose. Or do you not remember the last time you tried to take me on? How did that fight go? Oh yeah...I distinctly remember your Houndoom falling over after Abby trounced him..." Trinity taunted.

"That was pure luck! You know as well as I do that an Absol doesn't learn play rough!" Tyson barked.

"It's called breeding...dimwit..." Trinity sighed as she tossed out Abby.

She didn't even need to be told what she should do. Before Tyson could even activate the ring, Houndoom was already knocked out after a play rough from Abby. Several of the grunts had sent out their Pokemon to deal with the trouble. Tadashi joined the fray by releasing Kirlia into the fight. Needless to say, she was overjoyed to be with Tadashi again. Needless to say, after a powerful disarming voice...the dark subtypes were promptly defeated.

Tadashi moved towards Tyson with a fixed glare on his face. This man caused so much pain and suffering. He needed to be taught a lesson. Sapphire aura erupted around Tadadhi's frame as he walked towards Tyson who was now backing up. Tadashi reached out swiftly and grabbed Tyson by the collar and flung him several feet backwards into the open cell where AZ once was, knocking him out.

"Is he...you know, dead?" Trinity inquired.

"No...just out cold..." Tadashi grumbled, closing the cell door.

"Good...because for a second I was about to ask who you were and what you did with Tadashi...though that would still be valid because last I checked...you couldn't fling someone 50 pounds heavier than you with an injured right arm and a recovering left...much less pry iron bars apart with your bare hands..." Trinity muttered.

"Trinity was it? I believe that you are familiar with the term; aura adept correct? If so...then his actions should be self explanatory..." AZ muttered.

Trinity's eyes widened in surprise. She knew something was strange about Tadashi, but she never anticipated this much. Then again...how did she miss it when she could see and feel aura herself? That was about the extent of it though.

"I kinda figured it out when I remembered how I connected with Lucario. I just sorta...drew from that feeling," Tadashi said as he turned to the other grunts who had most likely gone to warn the entire base.

"Great...this just got more complicated..." Tadashi muttered, turning to exit.

"Wait up Tadashi! You need me to find everyone," Trinity called out, hurrying after him, AZ deciding to follow along after all. What? He wanted to leave too.

Meanwhile, within the laboratory, Celosia was hard at work finishing up another copy of the Evolutionary Ray along with a few other devices she'd been working on. The door to the lab burst open as a team of grunts came in, panting heavily. Celosia didn't even need to ask what happened, she simply sighed.

"I assume by your presence, this means Tyson failed...again..." Celosia stated, her head turning to meet the grunts with an unpleasant look on her visage.

The grunts simply gulped and nodded. Celosia's expression grew into a devilish grin as she pulled out a pokeball.

"And that means you all failed as well...I can see the status on your pokeballs and you know how I hate failure..." Celosia smirked, tossing out Manectric. She had a mega stone around her neck and was snarling at the grunts.

"We are at a crucial stage in the operation, and all you had to do was detain them. They were defenseless...without anything to aid them and you mucked it up..." Celosia spat, stepping forward, causing the other grunts to step back.

"W-with all due respect, he somehow got his Pokemon back...a-and Trinity was with them Celosia, we swear we weren't expecting it!" The grunts pleaded.

"That does explain a lot, but that still doesn't excuse you..." Celosia stated, snapping her fingers, giving Manectric his queue.

"Night night boys..." Celosia grinned.

Manectric launched a powerful shockwave in their direction, filling their bodies with the lethal electrical discharge. Their bodies fell to the floor, sizziling and unconscious. Manectric had perfect control over the voltage and knew how to ease up so that she wouldn't kill anything unless she had to of course. Celosia sighed and turned towards Aliana and Bryony who didn't seem the least bit concerned about what occurred.

"It's so hard to find good help these days..." Celosia sighed, turning back to her work.

"I suppose we should help, but Lysandre has orders to keep us busy for a while. Xerosic is working feverishly at Geosenge so he has no clue what's going on. You know how that man can be. Once he starts a project, he sees it through..." Bryony stated as she continued to work on her assigned part of the machine.

"We should probably inform him of Trinity's treachery...you know, that sounds like it could be a really good movie title...maybe we should submit it to weirdo in the Unova region...or perhaps the ones who shoot Diantha's movies..." Aliana replied, concentrating so she could carefully connect some really tiny and delicate mechanical parts.

"Perhaps...he won't be too thrilled about it to say the least. In any case, we should probably get the Inferno Branch in here. We're going to need our upper elites if we want to detain them. Trinity's too stupidly strong and that boy is no slouch either..." Celosia said as she picked up her holo caster to begin sending a message.

Meanwhile, Clarice and the others were sitting in rather peaceful silence. The other side of the lab wasn't as chaotic due to them not being informed of the escapes yet. A sigh escaped Clarice's lips as she looked over at the others. Jake looked like he was deep in thought while Madeline and Blake were sleeping against their wall. It was day time but they were still tired. They figured that the only time to wake up would be for when they were brought food. Victor was awake though, which meant she had someone to talk to.

"Victor...we aren't going to die in here are we?" Clarice inquired, getting Victor's attention.

"I hope not...not even death will be enough to keep me from what my mother would do if she found out...she'd most likely drag me from the abyss and slap me to life..." Victor laughed, trying to add humor to the situation, no dice.

"Sorry...I just really wish we could get out of here. I'm having artists withdrawl, if I don't get my hands on a paintbrush soon I'm gonna freak..." Victor grumbled.

"I see...do you think Tadashi is okay? I mean...why do you think we were separated from him? What if he never comes back...what if he-" She was cut off quickly as Victor glared at her.

"Are you stupid?! Don't you remember anything about Tadashi? The guy never gives up on anything. He's stared death in the face several times and came out alive. We all have. Every time he came out bruised, battered and limping but he never gave in. I don't think even death could shake him. So don't you go spilling that crap about him being dead because I know for a fact he wouldn't leave us like that..." Victor spat, causing Clarice to tear up.

"Hey...sorry...I know how much you care for him...we all do. I don't know how, or why, but something tells me he's still alive...and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't want us moping like we are now..." Victor sighed.

"I...I know, it's just that, I miss him...I miss his comforting voice, his stupid annoying as heck friendly attitude, the warmth I feel when I am near him...I feel...safe...if that makes sense, I know it sounds kinda stupid considering the danger we always wind up in...heh..." She breathed, shaking her head as she looked back at Victor, unable to wipe away the tears.

"You really do like him don't you...more so than you were letting on..." Victor chuckled.

"Yes, I do..." Clarice smiled, not snapping at Victor, mainly because it would be pointless if she couldn't hit him.

If only they were aware of what was going on at the moment. They would know that their salvation was nigh. Tadashi and Trinity fought through another section of the lab, taking out grunts with a little difficulty.

"It looks like they all have fully evolved teams...they must have been training them during my imprisonment..." Tadashi said as the trio rounded a corner, coming face to face with a man wearing a full body suit and a helmet with a visor.

The man had a Tyranitar that had a mega stone in it.

"Great...now what?" Tadashi muttered, looking up at the rock-dark powerhouse.

"Look what we have here, a couple of rats running about the lab. And one of them is a traitor..." Another man said coldly as he stepped out beside the trainer with the Tyranitar. He had an Aggron next to him and a mega stone was around his neck as well.

"Jamie...Shinji...to what do we owe this occasion? You two aren't usually deployed unless there's something easy to take care of...so why did they send you here?" Trinity mocked, causing both Jamie and Shinji to shoot her a look.

"You think you're so good don'tcha? Just because you were the top agent in our branch doesn't mean you were the strongest. I've been promoted because of your betrayal, and now I'm going to break you..." Shinji grinned.

"Why don't you let your Pokemon do the talking..." Trinity said as she held up a gloved hand and pressed the key stone.

"With pleasure..." Shinji grinned, holding up his ringed hand to activate his ring, Jamie doing the same.

Tadashi stuck with Kirlia considering the dark subtype that Tyranitar was. This was going to be a rough battle. Kirlia had been storing power for quite a while. Tadashi could feel it radiating off of her which made him confident in his choice to keep her out.

"Hey, don't tell me you plan on battling my Mega Tyranitar with that pathetic Kirlia...if you are, this will be faster than I thought..." Jamie grinned.

"I wouldn't underestimate her if I were you...doing so will put you in a world of pain..." Tadashi muttered, causing Jamie to laugh.

"The only one who will be in a world of pain, is you!" Jamie snarled.

As Mega Tyranitar immerged, a sandstorm began to brew. Tadashi pulled his sunglasses over his eyes and stood his ground. This was his first fight against a Tyranitar. He'd heard of how powerful they were and the devastation they could cause. Kirlia wasn't nearly at full strength yet which concerned him. She did have the type advantage over Tyranitar, considering she was part fairy.

"Tyranitar, use rock tomb!" Jamie commanded.

"Kirlia, double team!" Tadashi countered.

Tyranitar's body began to glow with a powerful white aura as rocks materialized and shot towards Kirlia. They went straight through the double team and right towards Tadashi. A smirk crossed Jamie's features, it was as if he was counting on the dodge. His objective wasn't simply to defeat them, it was to eliminate. He was a mercenary and their objectives always came first.

"Tadashi!" Trinity shouted, watching as Abby fended off Mega Aggron albeit rather ineffectively since Mega Aggron was now fully steel typed.

Tadashi watched the rocks race towards him. He had gathered aura into his palms before the stones were launched. He knew he wouldn't have time to get out of the way.

An explosion rang out as the stones connected with something, the ground shaking from the aftershocks, causing Trinity to look back with a horrified expression.

"No...don't tell me...he can't be-" Trinity's voice trembled, not wanting to think about what Clarice would do to her when she found out.

"Too bad..." A voice from within the smoke called out, causing Trinity to heave a sigh of relief.

"That might have worked, if I wasn't able to counter it in time..." Tadashi said as the smoke cleared, revealing him unharmed.

His fist was extended outwards and several broken pieces of stone were at his feet. He lowered his arms and winced a bit at the pain that shot through him. He was still injured and almost was again had he not thought it through.

Jamie and Shinji gawked at him, their jaws practically hitting the floor after what they'd just seen.

"That's a cowardly tactic...you people have no sense of honor...Trinity, remind me again why you joined them? Personally I would have told them to take a hike...but then again, a lot was on the line for you so you can be excused..." Tadashi sighed, turning back to the fight.

Trinity, laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head.

'This guy could kill me if he wanted to...I'm so glad he didn't...' Trinity thought as she sweat-dropped.

Her line of thought was interrupted by an iron tail that nearly knocked Abby away had she not moved. Trinity refocused on the battle in front of her and continued the fight.

"So...now that we've established that killing me is out of the question, let's get back to it shall we? Kirlia use disarming voice!" Tadashi called out.

Kirlia obeyed and sucked in air, only to release a powerful blast of sound towards the enemy. The fairy type aura radiated from her form as she continued to bombard Tyranitar's ears with the noise. Tyranitar held its ears and roared in frustration.

"Hyper beam!" Jamie ordered.

Tyranitar snarled at Kirlia before opening its mouth wide and firing a devastating hyper beam towards her, hitting her square in the chest and knocking her into a wall. She crashed into the metal with a resounding clang, causing a deep dent in the wall. She was now struggling to pull herself out of the wall, but she managed to do so, falling onto the floor face first in a heap. She wasn't knocked out, but she was definitely in trouble.

"That was easier than I thought, and now that she's out of the way...why don't we get back to why I was brought here..." Jamie grinned, directing his attention to Tadashi who was reaching for Kirlia's ball. He knew she wouldn't be able to fight on in this condition.

Kirlia looked up at her trainer, struggling to her feet in the process. She wanted to protect him. She wanted to always keep him safe no matter what the cost. She limped forwards and staggered in front of Tadashi, putting her arms out to defend.

"Awww, it looks like the weakling is still trying to fight, how amusing..." Jamie sneered.

Tadashi was about to return her and send out Lucario when she suddenly lit up with power. A pink aura surrounded her form and it slowly faded into a white aura which signaled only one thing. Her burning desire to protect Tadashi had reached its peak. Their species was devoted to the protection of their masters even unto death. And she was NOT about to be a disgrace to her kind. Power surged through her body as she grew in height and power. The energy she was outputting was massive, the shockwaves from the evolution pushing Tyranitar and their trainer backwards, as well as Trinity, Tadashi and the other one she was fighting. When the light dimmed, a Gardevoir stood before Tadashi, her crimson hues fixated into a determined expression.

She was not going to let him down and this was proof of her undying loyalty and love for her trainer. Tadashi had taken care of her, always and trained her to be strong. He was strong for her and now it was her turn to be strong for him again. Gardevoir stared down her opponent with renewed vigor.

'She evolved...I was thinking she would eventually, but it looks like her slowly evolving paid off due to her holding in all that collected power. I had a funny feeling about her when Tadashi used her to battle Victor. I wondered why she hadn't evolved yet...I guess this explains it...' Trinity thought as she had Abby fend off a heavy slam from Mega Aggron.

A proud smile came onto Tadashi's features as he saw Gardevoir before him. He was wondering when she'd evolve. Now was as good a time as any which was just fine with him.

"So what if she evolved! She still won't be strong enough to face down my Mega Tyranitar!" Jamie gloated.

"You see...that's where you're wrong. Gardevoir here is going to pick your Mega Tyranitar apart...and we have just the method to do it..." Tadashi grinned.

"You're bluffing!" Jamie snarled, watching as the sandstorm took effect, buffeting Abby a little as well as Gardevoir.

"You all take damage while we haven't taken any at all. And you're saying you can win? Don't make us laugh, we're not elite for nothing! The Inferno Branch members are several steps higher than the weaklings that Team Flare has under their belt. Their grunts are pathetic. You all don't stand a chance against us so just accept your fate quietly..." Shinji laughed.

"Please...the two of you could barely hold your own against me in two on one battles. Your egos are bigger than your heads...I'm surprised they haven't bursted by now..." Trinity grimaced.

"You just got lucky because we didn't have Mega Stones at that time. Now that we do, you can't touch us!" Jamie spat back.

"Whatever..." Trinity grunted.

"I hate to interrupt...but I have friends to rescue..." Tadashi sighed, an annoyed expression formulating on his features.

"You won't be rescuing anyone...not as long as you can't get past us, we're here to eliminate you and we are going to succeed..." Jamie said darkly.

"Tyranitar, use stone edge!" Jamie cried out.

"Double team..." Tadashi ordered calmly.

He knew that Gardevoir was not only psychic but an empath as well. She could feel when her trainer was worried, anxious, happy or sad. Tadashi wanted to stay calm, in spit of the fact that he had yet another close call with death. Gardevoir knew this, and was grateful to him for it. She briskly avoided the oncoming stone edge, and was thankfully away from Tadashi when it was fired. Her double team was incredibly fast. Tyranitar found himself falling into a dizzy spell at this point. She was leaving after images faster than he could keep up with.

"Tyranitar, don't let that confuse you! Use earthquake!" Jamie called out.

A smirk crossed Tadashi's features as he glanced over at Trinity. Somehow, she knew what he was doing and just in time too.

"Abby, jump upwards to avoid the aftershocks!" Trinity called out, causing Abby to leap high into the air as the earthquake began.

Gardevoir, being in tune with Tadashi's feelings, also made haste to the air for but a moment as the quake hit. Tadashi and Trinity were forced back a ways along with the other two. It soon became clear why Tadashi wanted it this way. Mega Aggron took all of the damage from the assault and crashed into the ground, barely able to get up after that strike.

"Jamie, you idiot! You nearly knocked out my Mega Aggron!" Shinji growled.

"Not my fault, you decided to use him when you know Tyranitar uses earthquake!" Jamie spat back.

'Did Tadashi anticipate this? He's seriously starting to scare me with his reckless tactics...still though, that was brilliant...which is even scarier...' Trinity thought with a sweat-drop.

"Looks like I found a way around you two after all...so why don't we wrap this up huh?" Tadashi said as he nodded to Gardevoir.

"Moonblast!" Tadashi commanded, getting a surprised look from Trinity and the other trainers.

Gardevoir began to generate powerful fairy energy between its palms. The power crackled in her hands as she raised it above her head. She then fired the blast of energy towards Tyranitar who, having absolutely no way to dodge, took the brunt of the blow and toppled over. Tyranitar was now struggling to stand, stumbling a few times before falling again.

"Draining kiss..." Tadashi smirked, watching as Gardevoir walked over to the helpless brute and kissed his cheek, absorbing the remainder of his energy to replenish her own.

Jamie couldn't believe it. This was the second time his Tyranitar was taken down by a Gardevoir, albeit the Champion's was far more terrifying in the fact that it was a Mega. Still, if this one took him down without Mega Evolving, he shuddered to think of what would happen if it were able to.

Mega Aggron was finished off by a critical from a night slash that Abby dished out, causing Shinji to back up. He was also not willing to believe they had been beaten so easily. The advantage was clearly theirs. So what went wrong? They returned their Pokemon and turned tail to run, only to be caught by both Trinity and Tadashi who threw them onto their backs.

"You two aren't going anywhere..." Trinity snarled, looking down at the two in disgust.

"P-p-please, be merciful, we were just acting on orders!" Shinji pleaded, trying to pull the 'innocence card' on them. It wasn't working.

"You two tried to kill my friend...and you think I'm going to just let you off the hook?!" Trinity snarled, grinding her boot heel into Jamie's tender spot, causing him to yell in pain.

Tadashi stared at Trinity in a confused manner. Did she just call him her friend? Did that mean she thought of him that way all along? If so, then she really did like the rest of the group as well. However...one of them would not be so easily swayed as to believe she was with them again. The loose cannon would certainly want to throttle Trinity for what was done to her back at the factory.

Trinity promptly knocked Jamie out and growled at Shinji who cowered in fear. Tadashi sighed and kicked Shinji in the side of the head, knocking him out as well.

"Awww, I wanted to do that!" Trinity pouted.

"We've got bigger issues...we need to get going..." Tadashi stated firmly, turning to see two grunts behind them.

"We've finally found you two. You're not going any-" The grunts flopped over after having their heads rammed together.

They were lying at AZ's feet who simply looked down at them with a blank stare.

"You know...I almost forgot you were there..." Tadashi said nervously, turning to Trinity who was also sweat-dropping.

"I may be large in stature...but that doesn't mean I am obligated to be loud..." AZ said briefly.

"Right...let's just keep going..." Tadashi said as he turned to Trinity.

"Lead the way..." He said with a soft smile**. **

_**And that brings this chapter to a close! Tadashi and Trinity are fighting tooth and nail through the defenses of Team Flare's lab. Even AZ got a little of the action. Tadashi is managing to tap into his aura a bit more which will come in handy later on! I hope you all are enjoying everything so far! Once again, shout out to PG-13 for this wonderful idea. So, will they all succeed in escaping? Or will they be locked up again? Find out next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	34. Chapter 34

**Morning everyone! Whew...that chapter took longer than I wanted it to. The main reason being that my tablet keyboard started acting up so I had to type off of the tablet itself...which was really annoying. Now that we have that little rant out of the way, how was the last chapter? I hope my rendition of AZ is pleasing. In the game, we really only saw bits and pieces of his personality and it all seemed kinda crammed in at the end to me. Regardless, I love the way he was made and I tried to replicate him as much as possible, with my own rendition added in of course. I mean come on...he's freaking 9 feet tall...gotta have some sort of brute strength behind him right? Anywho, let's get to it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 34: Anger and Tears, Reunited At Last!**

Tadashi and Trinity slinked around a corner and quickly drew back when they saw the entire hallway filled with at least fifteen grunts and a few admins, one of which had a Mega Banette.

"Well...they certainly upped security. Even if they are grunts, there's a lot of them...we need a way to get by them..." Trinity sighed, glancing over at Tadashi for a moment.

"What are you looking at me for?" Tadashi said with a raised brow.

"Really? Tadashi...you bent iron bars apart, lifted a grown man with one arm and tossed him across the freaking prison room and broke a stone edge with your bare hands...I think it's obvious what I'm going to ask you to do..." Trinity grumbled

"That's just what I was able to figure out...it's not like I can clear a hall that size..." Tadashi grumbled.

'Actually...you probably could...' Lucario's voice came out as he popped out of his pokeball.

'And you think so...how?' Tadashi said with a raised brow.

'It's the same concept as creating an earthquake...you utilize the power from force palm and convert that energy to your fist...once you hit the ground it will emit aftershocks that will cause tremors for a brief period of time. In essence, a ripple effect similar to what happens after force palm makes contact...' Lucario commented.

'Not sure if I wanna shake the place apart...there are still people in here and as much as I want them to meet their maker, I would like to come out of this in one piece. And besides...do you know how much it hurts to punch solid steel? That stone edge back there almost broke my hand had I not used bulk up to increase the solidity of the structure of my hand before using a close combat variant to get rid of the stones...I'm still human you know...I'm not made of steel like someone I know...' Tadashi said flatly, giving Lucario a look before turning to Trinity.

'Not my fault your bones are fragile...' Lucario muttered.

Tadashi said nothing and simply returned him to the ball.

"Did you two just have a conversation via telepathy? Because the look on your face tells me he had the same idea I did..." Trinity muttered.

"Yeah, and not doing it. Too risky. I'm injured enough as it is. Thankfully I'm healing slowly...I'm pretty much doing whatever I can to keep from getting anymore injured than I already am...Clarice will have my head if she sees me hurt any worse..." Tadashi grumbled.

"And don't forget about your face too, or were you not planning on wiping off the lipstick smudges from your face?" Trinity giggled.

"Shut it...don't remind me...those were not fun experiences..." Tadashi mumbled, licking his hands and wiping the smudges from his visage.

"There, now she won't kill you..." Trinity laughed, turning to the problem at hand.

"Looks like we've been quiet enough not to get noticed. This hallway must be leaading to the other side of the lab...and I have a hunch that beyond this barracade are more grunts and admins...maybe a scientist or two..." Trinity sighed, trying to figure a way out of this scenario.

"Well...let me think here...Gardevoir knows psychic now...perhaps she could generate enough energy to create a distraction for us to get through...but that still leaves the admins in the back..." Tadashi mumbled, rubbing his temples.

"I think I have a way out of this...and that plan of yours just might work. But we'd have to move fast before they can react. We just need to get the grunts out of the way so we can deal with the Admins...that Mega Banette isn't something to be taken lightly...it's strong..." Trinity stated as she went over the plan.

"So...basically, knock them out with a psychic and deal with the Admins with the Banette and Houndoom and what looks to be a Heracross...and there's even a scientist by the looks of things with an Abomasnow...that can't be good..." Tadashi murmured, knowing how strong Abomasnow was.

"Yep...and they're all Megas...this is trouble..." Trinity said nervously, turning to Tadashi.

"Well, we should start...the more time we waste contemplating, the more time Clarice and the others rot in their cells..." Tadashi said as he glanced over at AZ who simply nodded.

Taking out Gardevoir's pokeball he released her. Gardevoir sauntered over to her trainer and nuzzled him gently before looking into his eyes. Her psychic abilities taking effect so as to draw out any needed information through the contact.

"Alright...here's what I need you to do Gardevoir..." Tadashi began.

'I've already gathered the information Tadashi...' Came a voice that startled Tadashi a little.

'Wait...since when could you speak to me? You never did before...' Tadashi replied, getting a giggle out of Gardevoir.

'Your aura has grown much stronger. All I needed to do was take hold of that power and thus we are able to communicate. I must say, your mind is rather intriguing...your aura is comforting as well. It's no wonder I was drawn to you that day...' Gardevoir smiled.

'I see...so the stronger my aura is...the more I can communicate with my Pokemon?' Tadashi inquired.

'Essentially...yes, but for now, it's only telepaths...you still need to develop it more before you will be able to hear everyone's voice. Braixen...once evolved will be able to speak with you as well...as for now, she hasn't fully realized her psychic potential...' Gardevoir noted.

'Ah...well, I hate to cut this short...but we are in a bit of a hurry my friend...' Tadashi said with a stern expression.

'Of course...they're waiting for us after all. A reunion with them is a must...' Gardevoir replied as she all but hovered over to the opening in the hallway. Her footsteps were so light she may as well have been levitating.

The grunts blinked at the sight of the Gardevoir and some of them instantly began to panic. Was she here? If the Champion was in the base too, they may as well run. One of them looked over to see that there was no Mega Stone and sighed in relief. Gardevoir simply smirked and her eyes lit up a brilliant blue, causing a similar aura to surround the grunts and lift them into the air. She then crossed her hands in an 'X' formation and thrust them aside, sending the grunts slamming into the walls, knocked out cold.

"Well...that was impressive..." Mable, the blue haired scientist stated as she glanced over at her newly captured Abomasnow.

"Indeed it was...that kind of power is something we need on our team..." An Admin named Gloria said with a grin. She glanced down at her Banette and who simply smirked.

Tadashi and Trinity came out from the side of the wall into the clearing. Trinity had Abby at her side and Tadashi had Gardevoir. This was going to be quite a ride as it was mainly Megas in the battle, with the exception of Gardevoir.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Trinity, I'm surprised at you. And after all Celosia and Xerosic have done for you, you decide to betray us? I always knew you weren't to be trusted. The ones who are forced to join usually are...then again the others aren't as strong as you so we are able to keep them under our thumb..." Mable giggled.

"Well, sorry to say this Mable, but I never really cared for any of you. Celosia was the only one I could tolerate...and Lysandre was slightly tolerable as well. The rest of you can go fall in a ditch for all I care..." Trinity barked.

"Always the temper-mental one eh Trinity? Get them..." Mable ordered.

The other Admins assumed a battle position, Mega Evolving their Pokemon to start the fight.

Trinity did the same and Mega Absol was now ready for combat. Tadashi glanced over at Gardevoir and decided it would be best to bring out his own mega.

'Mind hanging back for a bit? This battle seems a little unfair at the moment...me not having a Mega out...' Tadashi inquired, taking out his ball to return her.

'Not a problem, I'm running a bit low on energy and could use some rest. That battle with Tyranitar took a lot out of me...' Gardevoir said with a smile.

'Alright...see you in a bit...' Tadashi said as he returned her, picking up Lucario's ball so he could join the fray.

'Korrina...you asked me to make him stronger...I am going to honor your request here today. If you were here instead of at the gym...I know you'd be proud...' Tadashi smiled.

"Lucario, let's go!" Tadashi cried out.

Within the city limits, a certain blond haired young man and his sister were running alongside one other taller individual.

"Are you sure it's there? Last I knew that place was fairly peaceful,"Clemont stated as he tried his best to keep up with Looker and Bonnie.

"I'm almost certain of it. The other day I spotted a Team Flare member exiting the cafe. I thought I was imagining things at first, but then it all made sense. The one place in the city I didn't think to check was there..." Looker said as the two arrived upon the scene, only to see several Team Flare grunts just outside the cafe, barring the entrance.

"Great...this isn't good..." Looker said as they ducked into an ally.

Standing among them was an Admin who had a Mega Gallade beside him. Luck was certainly not on their side.

"As I suspected...they've got the place on lock-down. If Diantha wasn't called away this would be much easier...I didn't have anything else to do so the next best thing was calling you..." Looker said as he looked over to Clemont.

"I'll do what I can to help out. Though, I don't have much experience fighting Mega Evolutions. This won't be easy," Clemont thought as he looked over at the barricade of grunts and the Admin.

Back in the lab halls, Tadashi and Trinity had their hands full. Tadashi sent out Charizard to aid his Mega Lucario while Trinity brought out Chandelure to help Abby. The halls shook as the battle raged on.

Lucario lit into Mega Houndoom with a powerful close combat before chucking an aura sphere at the hell hound, sending it flying into a wall behind it. He turned around, ohly to see Mega Heracross coming in with a powerful close combat of its own, only to get sidelined by a dragon claw and flamethrower followup by Charizard. Mega Banette fired a series of shadow balls at Abby who dispersed them with psycho cuts. Abby charged up a swords dance and lept in for a night slash to take care of Banette only to turn around to see a wood hammer heading her way. This action by Mega Abomasnow was quickly interrupted by an overheat from Chandelure who blasted the overgrown snowman into the wall.

Mable grumbled something inaudible as she returned her Mega Abomasnow and turned to run only to be lifted into the air by an unseen force and tossed aside into the other Admins, knocking them all out.

Gardevoir was sent out once more to do the job.

'Why didn't we just do that before?' Gardevoir wondered, casting a curious gaze at Tadashi.

'Where's the fun in that? They had Mega Evolutions anyway...we would have had to get by them one way or another and this seemed to be the best way to do it...' Tadashi said as he returned Gardevoir to her ball again along with Lucario who seemed a bit exhausted.

Az came around the corner after having sat down to wait for them to finish. Sine he had no Pokemon at the moment, he simply hung back until it was over.

"Let's hope you didn't alert more of them to this area...I fear their supply of reinforcement is stronger than we originally thought if all of their Admins are wielding Mega Evolved Pokemon," AZ commented, glancing between the two for a moment before looking ahead.

"It looks like we're clear for now...the next part of the lab is just ahead...things will get dicey from there. Security is rather tight the deeper we go..." Trinity said, getting a nod from Tadashi.

The trio made their way through the hallway of unconscious bodies and began to open the door only to find it sealed. A camera was looking down at them, tracking their progress.

"It would appear that Mable failed to keep them from getting through...no matter. That door is reinforced with several layers of steel. It's sealed shut meaning they're trapped like rats..." Reinald chuckled, turning to his lover who sat on his lap, her hands stroking his chin.

"Indeed my love, though...your team did fail again. Aren't you sore over it? I'm sure you just want to burn them up don't you?" The woman grinned.

"Jamie and Shinji did indeed fail...and Elliot, well...I won't be depending on him anymore. The two Tyranitar users were of no use to me..." Reinald stated with a grimace.

Reinald's lover simply kissed his cheek and simply wrapped her arms around his neck.

"So, what do you plan to do? You weren't able to get to Claudia because of the interference from Diantha...you could always get rid of Clarice. Having her put down would probably break Claudia and make her more vulnerable and easier to do away with..." The woman said with a smirk.

"And that is why I love you...I do believe I will go ahead with that plan. Wait here for me..." He stated, picking up his pokeball and heading out.

A grin plastered itself on the woman's visage as her lover left. Reinald exited their chambers and headed down towards the prison cells. At this point, Tadashi and the others were on the other side of several layers of reinforced steel.

"If we can get through here...the prison is just beyond the next corridor. We mmght have to fight a few others to get there but with what we have on hand we should be able to manage..." Trinity said as she stared at the problematic door before them.

"Can't we just have one of our Pokemon melt it down?" Tadashi inquired, causing Trinity to shake her head.

"It's a special type of steel that can withstand fire of almost any kind. There is a longer way around that we could take...but that would take too much time..." Trinity mumbled.

"No choice then..." Tadashi sighed, facing the wall as he spoke.

"Um...what are you doing?" Trinity inquired, watching as Tadashi took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes.

"Don't distract me..." Tadashi replied as he kept his focus.

'Alright Tadashi...find your focus...you can do this! You did it before...albeit it hurt like heck, but you still did it. Find that point where the aura is most potent and focus on it...' Tadashi thought to himself as he began to flare up his royal blue aura.

Trinity watched in amazement as it formed around is frame like a lover, the flames of his aura gently caressing his body while he concentrated.

'Find it...there!' Tadashi said as he opened up his eyes and shot his fist forward at an incredible velocity in what was undeniably a focus punch. The force of the punch caused several shockwaves that blew the door off its hinges, causing it to crash to the floor, bent in half.

Tadashi sighed in relief and shook his hand in pain. He gritted his teeth and looked down at his knuckles. They were bruised from the force of the blow but at least they weren't broken, thanks to the reinforcement he gave himself prior to the focus punch.

"I'm sorry Tadashi...but did you just punch a steel door off its hinges?" Trinity inquired, her eyes showing disbelief at what she saw.

"No...I asked it nicely and it fell over...of course I did...and I regret it now because my hand hurts like crazy and I'm surprised I didn't shatter my arm doing that..." Tadashi grumbled, still feeling the stings of the burns in his right arm.

"L-let's just keep going...the sooner we are out of here, the sooner I can pretend that this was all a dream..." Trinity sighed as they marched on.

Celosia couldn't believe what she had just seen on the camera. She couldn't process it. Aliana and Bryony weren't there to witness it because they were sent out to help with an extermination process with Reinald.

'That...was unbelievable...was that an illusion or something? My eyes must be playing tricks on me because I swear I saw Tadashi punch a solid steel door onto the floor...' Celosia thought to herself, sweat trickling down the side of her face as the trio faded from the camera view.

'This can't be good...' Celosia thought as she switched over to the other camera which was the prison cell that Clarice and the others were held in.

A smirk played at her features as she saw Reinald heading down there. It wasn't because she knew what he had planned, but because he was about to get stomped flat. She knew that Trinity and Tadashi weren't far behind and quite frankly, she was glad. She wasn't concerned about Aliana and Bryony as they knew how to get out of sticky situations. She could care less what happened to Reinald...he always complained.

The door to the lab opened and Reinald's lover walked in, a smirk on her visage as she did this.

"Ah, Gwendolyn, good to see you decided to come out of that room. I assume you being here means you want to see what's going on?" Celosia inquired, getting an affirmative nod from Gwendolyn.

"Of course...after all, that man is my husband and lover...and if anything happens to him...well, I get it all..." Gwendolyn said with a smirk.

"I'm guessing that means you never really desired to be with him huh?" Celosia said with a raised brow.

"Hardly...I just wanted him for his deep pockets. Men fall so easily to lust it's pitiful. They see a pair of boobs and fall for it instantly. It's rather amusing," Gwendolyn snickered.

"Well, let's see what happens shall we?" Celosia snickered.

It was still quiet in the cells as Clarice and the others were isolated from the noise of the outer parts of the lab. Soon the door to the cells opened and in walked Reinald, a stoic cold gaze fixated upon his features. Bryony and Aliana were at his side, devilish grins on their face.

Claudia looked up in horror to see Reinald near her cell. What did he want? Why was he there? And what were Bryony and Aliana doing there with him? Victor, Jake, Blake and Madeline immediately were on alert as their cell doors were opened.

"Looks like you five are getting out of here after all...and by that I mean the time has come to put you away for good..." Reinald grinned maliciously, turning to Clarice who was first on his list.

He tossed down a ball and released a pokemon from inside. It was a Gengar with a Mega Stone around its neck. Clarice remembered that his Gengar all too well. There were times when she'd seen it in battle and it was a terrible force to be reckoned with.

"It is said that Gengar can cool the room to ten degrees faranheit and steel the heat from your body...sounds like a rather slow and cold way to die...doesn't it Clarice?" Reinald grinned deviously as Gengar stuck its tongue out at Clarice, traveling dangerously close to her face before retracting.

Clarice's voice seemed to leave her. She wanted to scream but no matter how much she tried, she was too scared to manage one. Victor was being stared down by a Pinsir and a Bisharp while the other two were backing away from a Druddigon and a Houndoom and Mightyena.

"For meddling in our plans, we will mark these walls with your demise. This will be a sign to everyone who opposes Team Flare!" Reinald sneered, lifting Clarice off the ground.

As he was about to give a command, a psycho cut shot towards Gengar and knocked him back, sending him skidding a ways. Reinald turned towards the source of the attack, only to see Trinity and Abby standing there alongside Tadashi who had brought out Charizard. Upon seeing the situation at hand, Tadashi's eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists in anger.

His eyes flared with rage as his aura flared up around him, and what was once a royal blue was now a brilliant red. Tadashi was thoroughly pissed off.

"Put. Her. Down." Tadashi said through gritted teeth, causing Reinald to grin seeing his anger.

"So you are the one who everyone was so worked up about. I've been keeping an eye on you and I must say, you are rather impressive...it's too bad you are against us or nothing would be able to stop our plans..." Reinald said with a sick grin.

"I'll only say this once more...put her down now or I will break your arms..." Tadashi snarled, his words having more force behind them as he spoke.

Reinald didn't know what to make of it...but something told him to do as Tadashi said. But who said he had to do it gently, he threw Clarice against the wall, causing her to fall unconscious.

"Whoops...I got a little bit too carried away..." Reinald snickered.

Victor glanced over to see what the commotion was about, Jake too considering he was too frightened by the Gengar to look anywhere else. Madeline and Blake glanced away from their attackers as well to see Tadashi and Trinity standing side by side. They felt even more afraid because Trinity was there. Victor was concerned as well because Trinity had already betrayed them. So why was Tadashi with her? Also, why did it seem like he was on fire? He could physically see the aura around Tadashi now and it was frightening.

"Tadashi...I know you've been pushed to this point before...but you know what...I won't fault you if you blow him through the wall..." Trinity muttered.

"You're out of your league boy...there are three of us and two of you...well...three it seems..." Reinald muttered, looking up at the towering AZ.

Bryony and Aliana looked at each other and nodded, making their way out of the cells so they could focus on Trinity and Tadashi.

"This is where it ends for you two. Team Flare has no use for meddlers like yourselves. Prepare to be destroyed!" Reinald roared.

Tadashi wasn't fazed by this declaration in the slightest. After seeing Clarice being choked and then thrown across the cell, he just about lost it. What was keeping him from utterly destroying this man was his aura of virtue still holding him to his morals. That was all that was between him and diving into a clouded red aura.

"You people disgust me..." Tadashi growled, looking up at Reinald and the other two scientists.

"It's you who disgusts me boy. You and that failure I used to call a daughter over there..." Reinald sneered, causing Tadashi's eyes to grow wide at this revelation.

This man, was her father? The hair and eyes definitely matched but the face and the rest of her features were DEFINITELY from her mother.

"You would have been better off keeping quiet about that...because now that I know that you're her father...I have no qualms with you meeting Darkrai before your time..." Tadashi said in a cold tone.

'He's about to lose it...I don't think I've ever heard him use those terms before...well, maybe once...but that was when he wasn't aware of it, he seems perfectly aware of it now. Why is he-oh...' Trinity thought as she looked down at Clarice's unconscious body.

'Yep...he's got it bad...' Trinity thought before casting Bryony and Aliana a glare.

"Oh? And how do you intend to do that boy? You stand before the pinnacle of power with no hope of victory. One move and I'll have Gengar suck the life out of her right before your very eyes..." Reinald smirked.

Tadashi still didn't seem fazed by that statement. He was teetering between the edge of sanity and the angry storm brewing inside of him. Tapping into his aura, his hair rose up a little, as did his clothes as the power whipped around his frame. He suddenly blurred out of sight and appeared behind Reinald who was still gawking at what he'd just seen. Tadashi was now back to back with Reinald who was sweating bullets now.

Even Gengar didn't move after seeing a human utilize an extreme speed technique. Was that even possible? Lucario essentially taught from the moves that he could possibly learn which was what the gist of his training consisted of. Tadashi leaned down and broke the shackles off of Clarice and picked her up, walking straight by a stunned looking Reinald. He handed Clarice to AZ and flickered out of sight again, appearing behind Reinald. The larger man turned around only to be met with a force palm to the chest, sending him flying through the wall, knocking him unconscious. His body was battered and several bones instantly shattered along with the bones in his ribcage.

Using the distraction provided by Tadashi, Abby zipped inside and delivered a crushing night slash to Gengar, knocking him back into his pokeball. Tadashi winced and knelt down after that, gripping his hand in pain as he almost doubled over. It was still bruised and was now bleeding this time. Nothing was broken but it sure felt like it. Bryony and Aliana grinned as they walked over to Tadashi. Sure, they were scared as heck after seeing him knock Reinald through a wall. But he was still injured and seemed to have exhausted his aura reserves with that little stunt.

Victor sat there in disbelief as well as the others, wondering just what in the world happened to Tadashi. Last they checked he couldn't do any of that.

Aliana and Bryony kicked him in the ribs, causing Tadashi to cringe a bit as their heels made contact. This was interrupted by a psycho cut going straight down the middle between the two, causing them to cease their actions.

"Did you two forget that I was here?" Trinity inquired, shaking her head at the two who paused their abuse to look at her.

"We know...we just wanted to do that because of the trouble he caused us...it's only natural to achieve payback..." Aliana smirked.

"Yeah...well I think there's someone else in the room who desires a little payback himself...isn't that right Charizard?" Tadashi said, wincing as he stood up.

"Kicking me while I'm exhausted...such a cowardly move...you Team Flare idiots don't seem to know when to quit..." Tadashi spat as he wiped a bit of blood from his lower lip.

"Well, it's what we do. It's for the good of our mission and nothing is going to keep us from it..." Bryony declared.

"Well, I have to admit...you two aren't all that bad. In fact, I have to thank you for evolving Charizard...as well as pay you back for it," Tadashi grinned as he raised his gloved hand with the key stone in it.

"Th-that can't be good!" Aliana said as she shrunk back, calling her Pokemon to the front to protect her.

"Nothing you do is going to be able to stop us. Charizard may be strong but against this many opponents you don't have a chance..." Aliana grinned.

"I'm here too you know..." Trinity growled, wondering why they seemed to forget the one person they were afraid of as well.

"And we have six Pokemon each...those aren't very good odds for you...and one of them isn't very happy with you..." Tadashi said as he activated his key stone.

Charizard roared as power surged through his body, causing tremors to throughout the prison area. Charizard went under a complete transformation. In place of his original form, stood a more draconic looking menace. His skin turned pitch black and his legs appeared to have become more muscular as well as his arms, though they were still fairly thin. He had a sky blue underbelly that extended from the neck to the tip of his tail.

Two spikes curved upwards from each shoulder, front and back, and had blue tips on them. The horns that were once dull, now were sharp and also the same blue color as the underbelly. His eyes turned crimson and his claws lengthened, showing potential for powerful physical combative prowess. His wings even changed, giving himself a more draconic look. Blue flames burned from the sides of his mouth, and the flame on his tail burned blue as well, the heat having increased dramatically.

Mega Charizard was on the scene. All would be subject to its destructive power. The passion he felt from his master was projected onto him as he glared at Bryony and Aliana. He remembered Aliana more as the individual that had caused his forced evolution. He remembered the beam that hit him, causing him to wreak havoc on his own trainer and friends. A gutteral growl emitted from Charizards throat as he looked at Aliana.

"It seems he remembers you...albeit it's not a fond memory, which is unfortunate for you..." Tadashi smirked.

Jake looked up at Charizard in amazement. He had never seen a Charizard turn black, more or less lose its flying sub-type and become a dragon. Tadashi had some amazing Pokemon. It was unbelievable. Druddigon roared in a challenging voice at Charizard. Aliana smirked at this notion and turned to Druddigon.

"You want to battle him huh? Tear him apart then...leave him begging for mercy..." Aliana giggled.

Druddigon got into a battle position and then charged forward, activating a dragon claw on the way over. Charizard sensed the draconic move and evaded it with ease, being the faster Pokemon it was only natural that he could do so.

"Charizard...use your own dragon claw..." Tadashi ordered.

"Abby, charge that Mightyena, Chandelure you handle the Pinsir..." Trinity called out.

The prison soon broke out into a warzone as blow after blow was exchanged between each Pokemon involved. Tadashi had sent out Gardevoir as backup, because well, moonblast. Trinity had her hands full with a Mega Pinsir whose stone edges kept barely missing Chandelure. The speed it had was amazing, and she hated that. Druddigon rushed Charizard again only to be met head on with a dragon claw that smashed it into the ground unconscious.

"Kneel before the Dragon King..." Tadashi muttered as Charizard roared triumphantly.

Aliana was infuriated with the defeat of one of her strongest. She withdrew him only to see her Houndoom get blasted away with a moonblast. Bryony's Mega Pinsir was torched and as for Mightyena, it took a playrough and fell over after getting hit multiple times. Bryony and Aliana were forced to retreat. Before they could get any farther, they too were lifted from the ground by Gardevoir and knocked into each other, falling unconscious onto the floor.

Tadashi raised a brow at her in question.

'What? You were gonna order me to do it anyway...and besides...it was fun last time,' Gardevoir giggled.

Tadashi sighed as he looked at the hole in the prison wall that was created. It wasn't smashed through entirely but there was a crater with Reinalds imprint in it. He was now on the floor of course. He glanced over at Trinity who still held the master key card. Getting the message, she walked over towards the prison door that Victor, Madeline and Blake were in and opened it. She then proceeded to unlock their shackles with the stolen remote, Jakes included as his cell was already open.

Tadashi gripped his arm in pain and leaned against a wall, trying to catch his breath. AZ looked down at Clarice who began to stir awake. Victor walked by Trinity without a word and stared down at Tadashi.

"I knew you were still alive..." Victor smirked, turning to look at Trinity with a puzzled expression.

"So, why is she here? In case you didn't notice, she's the reason we're in this mess..." Victor growled.

"Relax...I'll fill you in after Clarice wakes up...you all need to hear this. Also...she's here because she brought me here...and she also brought me these...here..." Tadashi said, nodding to his backpack for Victor to check.

Curious, Victor opened the pack and his eyes grew wide. All of his Pokemon were in there. Jakes', Madelines', Blakes', and even Clarices'pokeballs were there. But why? How? Victor couldn't make sense of it.

"See? She brought them to me to give back to you...something tells me she was planning on making rounds to all of us..." Tadashi sighed as he turned to see Clarice was now awake although slightly disoriented.

The moment she saw Trinity, her anger flared up. She was not at all happy to see her. AZ had set her down when he saw her waking up, which he probably shouldn't have. Clarice lunged for Trinity and landed a punch square in the gut.

"You! How dare you show yourself to us again!" Clarice snarled.

Trinity doubled over from the punch and staggered back. She chose purposely not to block. Clarice followed with another blow, this time a kick to the ribs and then promptly tripped her up, stepping on her neck.

"How does it feel to be under my foot now?! Do you have any idea what I've been through mentally because of you?! I actually trusted you! And because of that, I was bound and chained, and unable to sleep comfortably at night! The pain I went through was UNBAREABLE!" Clarice shrieked.

At this point, Tadashi had to intervene. He reached out and grabbed Clarice by the waist and pulled her into him. She struggled for a moment before stopping to cry. Bitter tears streamed down her cheeks as her vision was blurry. She thought it was Victor holding her back and went to strike him.

"Let go of me Victor! She needs to be punished, she needs to be put down...after what she did, Tadashi was-I'm right here..." Tadashi said softly, causing Clarice's eyes to grow wide.

Victor was standing in front of her, Jake was off to the side, Blake was standing with Madeline, Trinity was on the floor...which meant. Instantly she turned around and squeezed the daylights out of Tadashi. Her body was trembling with rage and yet at the same time she felt a rush of joy overwhelm her. She had almost forgotten he was there before she got knocked out. She thought she was hallucinating due to Gengar being there and were fully capable of making her do that sort of thing. This was no illusion...Tadashi was there, in her arms.

"Clarice...could you let up on the pressure? My ribs hurt enough as it is..." Tadashi mumbled, causing Clarice to increase her hold.

"You're lucky I don't break them..." Clarice said through choked sobs.

"You have some nerve showing up more injured than you were...how many people did you have to fight to get to us? You're still as stupid as ever Tadashi!" She said as she slapped him.

Tadashi didn't retaliate, he didn't yell back, he simply looked calmly into her grey-green irises which caused her to tear up more as she held onto him. Trinity got up from the floor with several bruises on her body. Victor seemed slightly concerned and helped her steady herself a little. He couldn't understand why Trinity would allow Clarice to hit her that much. Was this her way of apologizing?

Tadashi sighed softly as he stroked the trembling Clarices' hair. She wasn't letting go, even if he wanted to pry her off she would refuse to separate herself this time.

"I missed you...Tadashi...you don't know how much it killed me to know that you were hurt, and mistreated...and what's worse is that I couldn't do anything about it..." Clarice sniffled, looking up at him with weary eyes.

"I missed you too...all of you in fact. I had almost given up, until AZ...the abnormally large guy behind me...reminded me of who I was and what I stood for. And we also have Trinity to thank...had it not been for her...I wouldn't have reunited with you all. I know you're all angry with her. But if her knocking Gengar away from you was any indication that she was on our side...I think the two of you ought to resolve your differences..." Tadashi advised.

Clarice wasn't too thrilled with the idea. She still wished she could beat up on the girl for the mental torture she was put through. She looked up at Tadashi with a quizzical look and sighed. Trinity looked away from Clarice, an ashamed expression fixated upon her features.

"You can look at me you know..." Clarice sighed, projecting a serious image before Trinity.

"I-I'm...sorry..." Trinity apologized.

"Don't wanna hear it..." Clarice muttered, causing Trinity to look at her curiously.

"I've heard apologies time and time again...and they were all empty. I don't know about you, but showing me that you're sorry speaks much more volumes to me than saying it. I should have beaten you within an inch of your life...but...Tadashi reminded me of something just now. I caught sight of it just before I was knocked out. Your eyes...they held genuine concern when you saw Reinald holding me by my throat. And then I saw the psycho cut catch Gengar off guard. At first I didn't want to believe it. That you actually would help us and have the audacity to come before us after the dispicable thing that you did. But now that I'm in my right mind again...I can see that you really are sorry for it. However, I'm still not satisfied with just that. I'll forgive you for now but I'm not going to forget it, you've caused me too much pain for me to just let you off the hook..." Clarice growled as she finished.

"I don't regret kicking you around right now...maybe I'll feel sorry about it later. But...I do want to thank you. Had you not helped Tadashi out...I'd be dead...as would the rest of us. In a way...you could say you saved us Trinity..." Clarice smirked, getting a return grin from Trinity.

"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting you to be happy to see me Clarice, I suppose these bruises make us even for what I did to you before..." Trinity sighed.

"Yep...just make sure not to cross me again..." Clarice said darkly.

"Duely noted..." Trinity muttered.

"And you mister! What's with these injuries? Are you trying to send me to an early grave with worry?!" Clarice scowled as she saw the bruises on him as well as his knuckles. Wait...why were those bruised?

"If you weren't already injured I'd kick you around too...but then I'd have to hurt Victor to make it even...and that's too much work..." Clarice sighed as she pulled Tadashi to herself slowly.

"I know this probably isn't the time for it...but..." Clarice said hesitantly, a blush formulating on her features as she looked away from Tadashi.

Before he knew it, she pulled his face towards him, looking deep into his eyes as she gently caressed his face. Tadashi blinked in surprise as she slowly began to close the gap between their lips. Her soft lips pressed against his, causing his eyes to grow wide before shutting slowly, his world being swept away by a moment of pure bliss.

_**And that ends this chapter! The gang is reunited, Trinty got beaten up a bit because she clearly had it coming and well...shock and surprise, Clarice finally gathered up the courage and laid one on Tadashi! Who saw that coming? (He said sarcastically) I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I hope it was enjoyable to read! So, now they all have their Pokemon, but there's a problem...they still have to get out of the lab! How will the rest of this go? Find out next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	35. Chapter 35

**Aloha everyone! Is everyone enjoying the ride so far? I certainly hope you are! So yeah...last chapter...quite a lot of emotion in that one. I may or may not go back and redo a few things but other than that I'm happy with it. As for you cliffhanger haters...there will be more, muahahahaha! -Coughs- Ahem...anywho, like I said, I hope last chapter was enjoyable. I can see some of you like how I portrayed AZ here. That makes me happy because honestly, I was fumbling around for what could be a good way to include him. Anywho, let's get back to business shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 35: Into The Open Air**

Clarice's leg popped off the ground as she melted into Tadashi's arms. Their lips slowly pulled apart, though she gave a slight wimper of protest before breaking the kiss. Victor and the others can be excused for gaping like a Magikarp. AZ, however, was not at all fazed or surprised. Tadashi's face could not have been anymore red than it was now. Clarice rested her head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat. She placed a hand over her own, feeling her heart racing with excitement. It was everything she'd expected to feel in that moment. Tadashi couldn't help his situation.

This feeling was very familiar, although the first time they met that close, he felt his heart race only slightly faster than normal. Now it felt like it was pounding against his chest in rapid succession. Victor, after finally getting over the shock, shook his head and smirked at the scene.

"Called it!" Victor grinned, his moment of joy spoiled by a swift kick to the shin by Trinity.

"Don't spoil their moment..." Trinity grumbled.

Victor winced in pain, remembering that she was also capable of causing him pain.

"I think you earned some points towards my full forgiveness Trinity..." Clarice smirked, closing her eyes and humming softly to herself as she rested against Tadashi. Arceus she needed this.

"Victor...would you be so kind as to hold still...we have a lot of catching up to do..." Trinity grinned deviously.

"Not a chance in hell!" Victor shot back, causing Trinity to giggle.

"That was so cute!" Madeline giggled, Jake and Blake looked at each other with confused expressions before glancing back at Tadashi and Clarice.

"Okay guys...I hate to break this up, but you do realize we are still in the lab right? We need to get out of here..." Victor said as he glanced over at AZ who was standing by the door.

"Everyone...get your pokeballs, I have a feeling we're going to have to fight through a lot of them. By now they've probably remobilized and are on their way here. We need to get moving because this is going to be rough..."Victor said as he looked at Tadashi and Clarice, the latter of which was holding the former by the arm.

Everyone pulled out their pokeballs from Tadashi's bag and equipped them in their proper place. Everyone was overjoyed to have their team back. The cameras in the prison were focusing on the situation at hand.

"This can't be good..." Celosia sighed, turning to Gwendolyn who seemed unaffected by the events.

"Wow...you really didn't have any feelings for him at all did you?" Celosia inquired, getting a giggle from Gwendolyn.

"Thanks to Tadashi, I'm a wealthy woman. I honestly don't care what happens from here on out, I'm just going to go back home to Unova, or maybe I'll shack up in the more luxurious parts of Lumiose, and settle down there. Maybe I'll open my own business or something, bossing people around comes natural to me," Gwendolyn sniggered.

"Well, have fun with that. I have a feeling your husband is going to either be a vegetable for the rest of his life or in jail...either way he's officially banished from Team Flare..." Celosia said with a chuckle.

"Indeed, well, I hope this plan of your leaders works out. I'll make sure to hunker down until it all blows over. However, I'm not about to hide in here...those kids are certain to cause more damage to the place than they have already. It's best I find a place to lay low..." Gwendolyn said as she made her exit.

Celosia sighed, knowing she'd take the elevator out and head into the city. Come to think of it, she needed to get moving to the next part of the operation. But first...she had to deal with those kids. They were once a minor nuisance and soon they became a brier patch of thorns in the side of Team Flare. Bryony, Aliana, and Mable, her friends...were all knocked out. She certainly didn't want to suffer the same fate. Checking her numbers, she found that a great deal of them had been wiped out while the vast number of forces was at Geosenge. She smirked at this, knowing how many Mega Evolutions they'd have to go through if they ever figured out where their main base of operations was.

And then it hit her...Trinity knew. That was going to be a major problem. There was a slight conflict brewing inside of Celosia. Trinity had basically tolerated her the entire time, regardless of the orders she was given. She never once insulted her profusely, nor did she ever degrade Celosia. The thought of hurting her felt like a crime. Ironic. In truth, Celosia expected this would happen one day. She had even spoken to Xerosic against bringing someone who clearly despised them under their ranks. But regardless of that, Celosia and Trinity got along for the most part. It was then that Celosia decided to leave Trinity in Xerosic's hands. She was his responsibility since he forced her to join. Even Lysandre was somewhat against it due to the problem she posed.

The door to the lab opened and speak of the devil, it was Lysandre. A sigh expelled from the man's lips as he trekked over to Celosia.

"So...what we feared came true after all huh?" Lysandre stated, getting an affirmative nod from Celosia.

"I knew she wasn't very trustworthy from the start. The only one she seemed to listen to well enough was you Celosia...and at times, me," Lysandre muttered.

"Yes...I had a feeling she'd go rogue. But I'm not technically in charge of her. If she knows her place...and if she wants her sister to live...she'll not interfere anymore than she already has..." Celosia smirked.

"Ah...Xerosic still has her in Geosenge. He probably won't be too happy when he returns to this mess...then again, he's under my authority so he can't do much about it really. Also...we have another problem..." Lysandre pointed out, switching to the cameras outside the cafe to get a close up of Clemont, Looker and Bonnie.

"Ah...the Gym Leader and...yeah, we need to leave..." Celosia said as she sent a message to Bryony, Mable, and Aliana. There was a hidden exit they could leave through without going out the front of the cafe.

"But first...lock the place down. When they get up the elevator to exit...bar it shut. We can't have them interfering with us any longer. We are too close to our goal to be stopped now..." Lysandre said as he turned to exit.

"Right away Lysandre..." Celosia stated, typing in a few commands to close the book case and bar it with a steel door that locked from the outside.

Tadashi and the group had already left the prison area and were proceeding with caution. They didn't want to draw too much attention, mainly because there were still a lot of Team Flare left walking around.

Still, the situation couldn't be helped. Several Team Flare grunts that were left in the lab spotted them and rushed to bar their escape routes. There were grunts and a few Admins on all sides which did not exactly give the gang favorable conditions. Then again...had it been any other group of kids, the situation wouldn't go so well, but this was Tadashi, Victor, Clarice and Trinity. Albeit the latter joined rather late, they knew each other well enough to know how to work together. Jake, Madeline and Blake also were decent trainers themselves. The seven of them together formed a seemingly unstoppable force and Team Flare was going to find this out the hard way.

A series of explosions erupted within the area followed by the rapid succession of thuds as Team Flare's Pokemon fell helplessly to the floor. The gang continued down the hallway, AZ following behind them, thumping a Grunt that attempted to sneak attack him over the head, knocking him out.

"Tadashi...who is this guy again?" Victor inquired curiously.

"His name is AZ...he doesn't talk very much, but he seems nice..." Tadashi replied, continuing to walk with the group after they returned their Pokemon.

"I see...I remember seeing him once before, not sure where though..." Victor said, scratching his head as they all raced down the halls. They soon came to what appeared to be an elevator.

"Looks like this is the place...thanks for helping us find it Trinity..." Tadashi said as he pressed the button on the elevator so it could open.

The elevator opened and they all got inside, AZ included, though he had to stay crouching due to his height. They were rather surprised when they met so little resistance after that last wave of grunts. Why weren't there anymore around? Where could they have gone? It was a little too easy to get to the elevator after all that Tadashi and Trinity went through just to get to the other side of the lab.

"By the way Tadashi...I saw two of the scientists knocked out on the floor when I came to...care to explain that one?" Clarice inquired, quirking a brow at Tadashi as he looked back at her.

"Uh...you can blame that one on Gardevoir...I never asked her to do it. She just sorta...did it..." Tadashi laughed nervously.

"Okay...and my pigheaded father...or former father, care to explain why he was lying under some rubble bleeding and bruised? Victor tells me you punched him through the wall...and considering I've never seen you get violent, I'm inclined to think that you had Lucario do it..." Clarice said, giving him a look as she spoke.

"Lucario had no part in it, and that story is hard to explain, let's save that for when we get out of here..." Tadashi said as the elevator doors opened up.

"Guys...we have a problem..." Victor said as he pointed to the steel door blocking their way.

"That seems to be the only way out...it looks like Team Flare had a backup plan to keep us from escaping.

A sigh escaped Tadashi's lips as he glanced at the door. Feeling eyes on him, he looked over at Victor and Trinity who gave him a knowing look.

"No..." Tadashi said with a grimace.

"Why not?" Trinity inquired.

"Because I'm exhausted..." Tadashi mumbled.

"Wait...what?" Clarice asked, looking rather confused.

"Just do it..." Trinity muttered.

"No..." Tadashi repeated.

"Tadashi?" Clarice inquired, looking up at him with a fake cute smile before pulling on his ear.

"Ow...okay, okay I'll see what I can do..." Tadashi grumbled.

"Get me to the door and I'll take it from there..." Tadashi sighed, walking with Clarice as she supported him on the way to the door.

Tadashi braced his hand on the wall to support himself while Clarice stood back.

"What's he going to do?" Clarice wondered, still skeptical of the stories that were told by Victor and Trinity, who claims to have witnessed Tadashi punch a solid steel wall off of its hinges.

Tadashi soon closed his eyes and began to concentrate on his aura. He had used up quite a lot of it as it was and needed time to replenish it. He felt exhausted and he knew that this really wasn't the best idea. But his Pokemon needed rest too. Channeling his aura through his frame, Tadashi began to build up energy into his right hand. He didn't want to use his knuckles due to the fact that they were already in a bad state.

'Alright Tadashi...feel it out like last time. Remember where you found it...and...there!' Tadashi thought as his eyes shot open.

He brought his open palm forwards at full force and smashed it into the steel, the first effect denting the steel in the door and the secondary pulse finishing the job, blowing the door completely off its hinges, sending it crashing through the shelf concealing it. Gwendolyn was sitting at the cafe when the door blasted past her, crashing right in front of her. Looker had just entered the cafe after watching Clemont fight a tiresome battle. Clemont and Looker, as well as Bonnie's eyes went wide as they saw what had occurred.

Gwendolyn's face lit up with a smirk as she saw the gang exiting. Tadashi yanked his palm back and blew on it as that one hurt almost as bad as the focus punch he pulled off did. Clarice couldn't believe what she had just seen. The boy she was head over heels with...just used a force palm...what?

"Tadashi? What. The. Heck?" Trinity inquired, a frown fixated on her features to mask her surprise.

"That's what I said..." Trinity grumbled.

Jake and the other two had no words. Even if they wanted to say something, they couldn't find the sound for it.

"Well, what have we here? I didn't think there was anything behind that shelf..." Gwendolyn lied as she glanced around at the group.

"Sorry about that...you aren't hurt are you?" Tadashi inquired, glancing up at the elegantly dressed woman before him. She wore a low v cut dress, the end of the dress stopping at her ankles. The dress was maroon in color and looked as though it were made out of silk. It was form fitting as well. She seemed to be a rather high class woman by the looks of things.

"Not at all young man, I was just startled that's all," Gwendolyn said with a faint smile.

"Good to know..." Tadashi said with a slight laugh, keeping his eyes diverted from her gaze. There was something odd about it that made him feel slightly off.

"Well, I must be going now...it's been a long and strange day. Then again...nothing can top what I've just seen..." Gwendolyn giggled, blowing a kiss towards Tadashi before heading out the door. It was her subtle way of thanking him for making her wealthy and he had no clue about it.

Tadashi frowned at the action and simply shook his head. His eyes shifted over to Looker who watched Gwendolyn saunter out of the cafe. He thought about questioning her as to why she was here, but then again...he'd seen locals in here before. Lookers attention went back to Tadashi and the group, seeing them all worn out and my Arceus did they ever need a bath.

"I'd like to ask what happened...but I would rather do that when you kids are all cleaned up...this has got to be the worst stench I've smelled in a while..." Looker grunted.

AZ had walked out when everyone was stunned at what Tadashi had done. He wasn't really wanting to stay in there and get stared at. This was their fight after all, however...Team Flare was in the possession of his creation. It was only a matter of time before they activated it. But when would that time be? He couldn't be too sure.

"Let's get all of you to a Pokemon Center...and as for you Tadashi...you need medical attention again. Those burns may be doing better but I'm concerned about the latest injuries you seem to have obtained...then again, I expected this to become a habit considering how reckless you can be..." Looker sighed.

The group had all checked into the Pokemon Center and were in their own rooms, contemplating the events that occurred. Tadashi was in the medical room after a much deserved shower. His left arm was now functional again so he could take the cast off. He was surprised that he didn't injure it anymore than he had before.

'Note to self...next time there is a flying 57 pound solid rock dinosaur/dragon heading my way...dodge!' Tadashi thought to himself as he flexed his left arm.

"It's healed up rather nicely Tadashi. When you came in here before it was in quite terrible condition. Your burns are barely visible now which is a good thing. But that hand of yours is badly bruised...and your ribs are a bit bruised as well. I'm surprised you haven't broken any bones there..." The nurse said as she wrapped up Tadashi's new wounds and tended to his hand.

"No broken bones at least...but please Tadashi, try to minimize the injuries you obtain. You gave us quite a scare last time..." The nurse said with a sigh.

"Sorry nurse...I didn't mean for that to happen," Tadashi said with a soft chuckle.

The door to the medical room opened up and Looker stepped inside.

"Well, I'm going to see to my other patients. I'll be back to check on you later," the nurse stated as she walked out.

"Well, you look better than you were before...you aren't a dishevelled mess like you were previously..." Looker stated as he turned to see Claudia by his side.

She simply rushed in and hugged Tadashi tightly, little care taken for the boys new injuries as she did this. Tears spilled down her face as she held the boy who rescued her daughter.

"Uh...is everything alright?" Tadashi inquired, looking at Clarice's mother curiously. He had a feeling he knew why she was doing this, and it was confirmed when she spoke up.

"Clarice told me everything...how her father tried to kill her. And how he almost did until you rescued her along with your friend...Trinity I believe her name was? I didn't get the chance to thank her much since she was let out of the medical room with only slight injuries..." Claudia said, sniffling a bit as she leaned up and kissed Tadashi's cheek.

"Thank you so much..." She said softly, stepping back and wiping away the tears she had let loose.

"I just did what anyone would have done for someone they cared about..." Tadashi said with a weak smile.

"Don't make light of it young man...Clarice thinks very highly of you. And if it wasn't already clear by her affections towards you...yes, she told me about it..." Claudia smirked.

"Seriously?!" Tadashi exclaimed, his face turning red again.

"Yes...she said it was wonderful...anyway, once more...thank you. Thank you for saving her...I don't know how I would have gone on living if she were gone.."Claudia said with a trembling voice.

"Like I said...I did what needed to be done. And I'd do it again if I had to...I'd never let anything happen to her or the others..." Tadashi said with a determined gaze.

"I know...I felt that the day I met you. I knew you were special the moment I looked into those amazing eyes of yours...Clarice seems to fancy them. I can see why she wouldn't stop staring at you when I tried to talk to her..." Claudia grinned.

Tadashi blushed and looked down, gripping the hospital sheets as he shook thoughts of Clarice's gazes from his mind.

"Well, Looker...I need to get going. I'm due for a hair appointment..." Claudia said as she exited the cafe.

"That woman is amazing. After hearing the trials she went through...and seeing how she's dealt with them...I can say that she is without a doubt one of the bravest women I have ever encountered next to Diantha and Cynthia..." Looker said as he turned to Tadashi.

"Did you know that she used to compete in the Pokemon League and make it to the finals on almost a regular basis?" Looker inquired.

"You sure got to know her a lot in the past month...haven't you Looker?" Tadashi smirked.

"One can hardly blame me. A woman of that kind of background is one to look into. I was astonished to find that her husband was part of Team Flare and was out to kill her and Clarice...I had several of my officers go inside the lab...and since you apparently obliterated the door with your own hand, it was relatively easy to walk in..." Looker said nervously.

"So you saw that...I was hoping I wouldn't have an audience on the other side of the door...so much for that..." Tadashi sighed.

"Well, whatever the heck you did, it made my search much easier. My men found a man under some rubble. He was still alive, but in great need of medical attention. I discovered that this was the man Claudia warned me about. He is in a different medical center in Lumiose. Whatever happened to him put him in quite a state. He won't be waking up for a few days...and when he does it will be in a cell.." Looker sighed, glancing back at Tadashi.

"Honestly Tadashi, when I enlisted your help, I never thought you would take it that far," Looker said with a grimace.

"It's not like I wanted to end up in their lab, my hands chained together as well as my feet...that and the cruel and unusual punishment that was inflicted on me by those two female scientists..." Tadashi shuddered at the thought.

"Ah...torture?" Looker inquired.

"No...just unwanted affection...nothing sexual though...thank Arceus..." Tadashi muttered.

"Don't let Clarice hear that...she'll most likely be out for blood if she sees said female scientists again..." Looker laughed nervously.

"Anyway Tadashi...it seems to me that they've all gone underground. There isn't a single sign of Team Flare in the city at all. I don't know why, but I have a sneaking suspicion that things are about to get out of control. What happened at Laverre City was proof enough...the town is recovering still and Valerie is back in good health. Clemont decided to alert the other Gym Leaders as to what was going on. We're going to see if we can't find the whereabouts of their main base of operations..." Looker said as he turned to exit.

"You just get some rest for now...when you're better, give me a call and we will proceed from there..." Looker stated firmly.

"It's not like I plan on going anywhere for a while anyway...I swear if this keeps up, I'll never finish the League Challenge..." Tadashi muttered.

"Something tells me that even this isn't enough to stop you...not after what I've heard and witnessed...anyway, good day Tadashi..." Looker said as he made his exit.

It was then that Trinity came inside the room, having slipped out of her room without the others knowing. It was a habit of hers and she was very good at it.

"Hey...thanks for, you know...not ratting me out..." Trinity said with a nervous laugh.

"The ones you should be thanking are Clarice and Victor...they're the ones who had Jake, Blake and Madeline keep silent..." Tadashi said with a smirk.

"Still...thanks. Now we have a new problem on our hands..." Trinity sighed.

"Yeah...you know where their main base is...right?" Tadashi inquired.

"Right...but the problem...is that my sister is there. And if I show up...she is in danger, It would probably be best if I didn't tag along this time..." Trinity said with a soft sigh.

"Trinity...we want you to come with us. Even Clarice...in spite of the fact that you owe her A LOT for the trouble you caused, me as well...the least you could do is come with us. You don't need to go in if you feel it will endanger your sister...just bring us there. It's going to take a while for me to heal up...but once I do and once the others are good to go. We will all head over to whever it is...and we will finish this once and for all. We'll get your sister out of there too...I believe her name was Tiana?" Tadashi said with a faint smile.

"Thanks Tadashi...you know...now that I think of it...why did I do all of this to you? I guess it was because my desire to help my sister...blinded me to what I was actually doing. I know I have to atone for everything I did to you guys...during the times you had your battles, I sorta...sent reports back to Team Flare. I'm not proud of it...now that I realized I actually liked being friends with you guys," Trinity sighed.

"Also...Tadashi...sorry for flirting with you...it was part of the job, you're cute...no offense, but you are more trouble than any girl could bargain for..." Trinity smirked.

"I'll...take that as a compliment and pretend I didn't hear that last part..." Tadashi grinned.

"But I must say this...Trinity looked like she was enjoying herself quite a bit...it almost makes me curious...but I don't wanna die young..." Trinity chuckled, referring to what Clarice would do to her if she ever did such a thing.

"Well, try Victor...artists are said to be great with that sort of thing..." Tadashi chuckled.

"That dunderhead? Well...he isn't bad looking...although I wasn't too keen on him checking me out, it was flattering nonetheless..." Trinity smirked.

"Anyway..." Trinity said, flicking Tadashi on the forehead, causing him to wince.

"You get some rest...can't have you injured, even if Team Flare is lying low to avoid attention being drawn to their main base...we need you in peak condition..." Trinity said with a smirk.

"Thanks Trinity...I'll see you later," Tadashi chuckled, watching as Trinity waved and turned to exit.

Tadashi sighed as he looked towards the door. As he did, Clarice walked through them, a soft smile painted on her features as she entered.

"Hey you..." Clarice chuckled, walking up to the side of his bed to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Looks like I've had a few visitors today...your mother included. Looks like she knows about well...you know..." Tadashi smiled, causing Clarice to blush.

"Y-yeah...I sorta told her about it. Actually...she kinda forced it out of me...it slipped..." Clarice mumbled.

"In essence, when she asked me how I was...and what happened...she saw there was more to the story and got all the juicy details...right?" Tadashi smirked.

"More or less...yes..." Clarice muttered, nuzzling into Tadashi's neck.

"Well, I guess it's no secret now...how we feel about each other," Tadashi sighed.

"I know...I kinda liked it better when nobody knew, but...well, things happen. That and I got tired of waiting..." Clarice smirked.

"One of us was bound to give..." Tadashi muttered.

"Anyway...Tadashi...please, don't do something that stupid ever again? I know you probably won't listen to me, but if I have to handcuff you to me to keep an eye on you, so help me I will do it!" Clarice said firmly.

Tadashi blinked at this statement and simply shook his head.

"Fine, I'll try to be more careful...I can't guarantee that considering...you know...I'm pretty much on their hit list..." Tadashi grumbled.

"Speaking of crazy things that you do Tadashi..." Clarice said, disregarding his last statement.

"The steel door that you smashed in...explain...now!" She said firmly.

Tadashi let out a long sigh. This was going to take quite a while to explain to her, considering the very concept of aura was difficult to explain. He almost wished he had Lucario here...but now that he knew about Clarice and Tadashi being a thing...he'd never shut up about it. Then again...he didn't anyway so it would be no different.

'Arceus...why me?' He sighed as he turned to face Clarice.

"Alright...so it goes like this..." Tadashi began, gaining Clarice's attention for the next hour or so as he rattled off what he knew, doing his best to break it down simply for her. He was amazed to discover that she knew a little of what he was talking about. It was after all, part of history.

"So...that's pretty much the gist of it. Lucario taught me how to regulate the amount of aura that I use...that's why I took so long in the swamps that one day. In essence, I was sparring with Lucario hence why I looked a little out of sorts when I came back. So yeah...that's why I was able to do all of that..." Tadashi said with an exasperated sigh. It was a lot to cover.

"I see...so that's what happened to my father...well, I don't consider him that anymore. I wish I could have seen it...but then again, seeing you burst through a steel door was proof enough. How's your hand by the way?" Clarice inquired, tilting her head slightly as she looked at his right hand.

"It's okay...in a day or so I should be fine. Nothing broken...but some pretty bad bruises developed. But thanks to the medicine here, they should go away fairly quickly.." Tadashi explained.

"Good to know...Arceus I missed you..." Clarice sighed, giving him one last hug, laying another one on him for good measure before pulling back to walk out.

"I'd better get some rest. I plan to train my team tomorrow so we'll be prepared when it's time to move out..." Clarice said as she turned to exit.

"Rest up...baby..." Clarice blushed as she exited.

'Did she just give me a pet name?' Tadashi thought.

'I think she did...' Came Lucario's voice as he popped out of the ball.

'When and how did you get there?' Tadashi muttered.

'The nurse brought me in along with the others...also, Drapion was replaced by Skiddo as requested...I understand you want him trained so he can evolve?' Lucario inquired.

'Er...that's essentially it...yes...' Tadashi said with a sigh.

'Well...perhaps I'll venture off with him and train for a while. He should be strong enough to evolve by tomorrow night if we're lucky...' Lucario said with a smirk.

'Thanks partner...' Tadashi smiled.

'You're welcome...I'll take care of things tomorrow...' Lucario said as he brought Tadashi's pokeballs over to him.

A smile spread over Tadashi's face as he released his team around the hospital bed, much to the alarm of the nurse.

"Er...sorry about that..it's just that my team has a hard time sleeping without being out and around me..." Tadashi said nervously, getting a giggle from the nurse.

"It's alright, it just startled me is all..." The nurse said with a soft smile.

Skiddo popped out and looked around to see most of his friends had evolved. Braixen wasn't fully evolved yet, but she was getting there, and Tyrunt was still wondering why he hadn't yet. Skiddo padded over to Tadashi's bedside and looked up happily at his trainer.

"Hey Skiddo...sorry I didn't get to spend much time with you. That's gonna change though...we're going to get you all caught up. You'll be going with Lucario tomorrow..." Tadashi smiled.

Skiddo simply nodded with excitement on his face. He was just glad to be back with Tadashi. The sun went down and soon everyone was nestled in their beds awaiting the next day. But with Team Flare having gone underground for a while, they couldn't be too comfy just yet.

"Are the preparations almost complete?"

"Not quite...a few more days and it should be ready..."

"Very well then, get some rest Xerosic..."

"Same to you...Lysandre..."

_**And Tadashi seems to be back in the medical center...AGAIN. I know...I'm picking on him a lot aren't I? Well, I hope you enjoyed everything so far. I'm doing my best to give you all good material to soak up. I know the escape was relatively easy, but that was to add a bit of a confusion factor for them. It's a buildup mechanism so to speak. The main challenge is going to be getting through the main base where EVERYONE is. Anywho, let's see how our heroes do, next time on The Flames of Revolution!**_


	36. Chapter 36

**Aloha and good morning to you all! Mango here with another update! It's getting pretty crazy isn't it? I know what some of you are thinking? 'When is the Ultimate Weapon going to be activated?' Or some of you might be wondering; 'Which Legendary is in this one?' All in due time dear friends...all in due time. Also, yay! Skiddo's back! Yes, he will be getting some play time in. I know it's a bit late in the plot but eh, what can you do? Anywho, it's time to get things rolling, so why don't we just get right into it?!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 36: Mobilization **

A few days had gone by since the incident in the lab. During that time, Lucario and Skiddo trained seemingly without cease with the absense of Tadashi due to the nurse insisting he stay a bit longer. In no time at all, Skiddo had become a Gogoat. It was early morning, and Tadashi was already up, getting his bruises checked by the nurse.

"We're going to take off some of the bandages. There is still some bruising on your ribs but it's not as bad as it was previously..." The nurse said as she replaced some of his bandages and reduced the amount used.

The doors to the room opened and Lucario trekked back inside. Tadashi smiled upon seeing him. He quirked a brow when he didn't see Skiddo. A smirk crossed Lucario's visage as he knew what Tadashi was thinking.

'Ahem...Tadashi. It was a long and arduous training session, but now...I am proud to present to you, Gogoat!' Lucario said proudly, gesturing for Gogoat to walk inside.

Gogoat walked in with pride, showing off his horns as they were now bigger. Yes...fear the horns. He walked up beside Tadashi and the nurse who blinked in confusion.

"Is this Gogoat yours?" The nurse inquired curiously.

"Yep...while I was in here, he was with Lucario training. I asked them to continuously spar until he got stronger or evolved. I would have trained him myself...but Lucario knows how I do things so I just left it up to him..." Tadashi chuckled.

'So, who's next? Should I take Braixen out there? She's all that's left...well, there's Tyrunt, but I shudder to think of what will happen if he evolves without you being around...' Lucario said as an image of a rampaging dino-dragon filled his mind.

'I think I'll take care of those two, thank you for helping me with Gogoat though...I felt bad for sending him to PC so soon. He helped me out quite a bit...' Tadashi chuckled.

'I see, well...that's good...' Lucario smiled, glancing down at the other sleeping Pokemon at his bedside.

"Well, looks like you're all set Tadashi. Your right arm is as good as new and your left is healed as well. Just do us a favor and stop ending up so hurt all the time. I don't think your friends like it when you're all dinged up like you were," the nurse grumbled.

"Heh...yeah, sorry about that. I'll do my best to be careful, no promises though..." Tadashi chuckled.

Meanwhile, within the confines of Clemont's home, an eight way call was being held via an X-Transceiver. Since holo casters couldn't do that he had to revert to the other model of communication which in hind-sight was quite a bit more effective when reaching large numbers.

"Clemont, I want to know now...how are Tadashi and the others? Tell me truthfully, because the last time I saw them they were in my gym...and then I heard about them being captured. Please tell me they're okay..." Valerie said in a worried tone.

"They're fine Valerie, all of them are back now, they broke out of the lab...albeit in the strangest way possible. I don't remember humans ever being able to do that..." Clemont mumbled.

"So...what's the point of the call Clemont? I've got a bit of a busy schedule to keep...I was commissioned to take some photo's of some bug-types today and I would like to get that done soon..." Viola said as she folded her arms impatiently.

"Now sis, don't be that way, I know it's early but I am sure Clemont has a good reason to call...right Clemont?" Alexa stated, giving him a look.

"Y-yes...you see, there's a bit of a problem. Team Flare suddenly went inactive...it's puzzling. I can't figure out why...it's bugging me...er...sorry Viola," Clemont said with a nervous chuckle.

"So you want us to keep a sharp lookout, is that what you're saying?" Korrina inquired, glancing up at her grandpa who was standing beside her.

"Essentially, yes...I have a feeling we're going to need to help Tadashi and the others in this one. From the information I received from them, they've got some sort of crazy plan set up. According to what Tadashi told me...they had some sort of Evolutionary Ray or something like that and had previously used it on his Charizard which is why it went ballistic before. I don't know what they plan on doing with them...but I can't help but shake this foreboding feeling..." Clemont said nervously.

"I've had that same feeling as well...you are right to fear Clemont, for the future is bleak...should Team Flare go unchecked, I shudder to think of the consequences..." Olympia said as she looked away.

"This does pose quite a problem...though I don't know how I'm going to be able to help. I'm quite a ways off from all of you, and the conditions out here aren't exactly travel friendly. But, I can't sit by and let the situation get out of hand. If you need my help, you shall have it," Wulfric grinned.

"I must say, it's been quite a while since I had to fight outside of the gym...what do you think Gogoat?" Ramos chuckled, feeling the horns of Gogoat as they glowed green.

"Seems like ya want to help the whippersnappers out...alright, we're in," Ramos laughed.

"Well, I have been meaning to check up on Lucario and Tadashi...by the sound of things, they've gotten much stronger. Then again...so have we..." Korrina said with a smirk.

"I guess I could join in on the fun too. Sounds awesome, almost as awesome as a good climb...I could use a rush like that," Grant commented.

"You know I'll be there, I can't let this go. Team Flare needs to be brought down...they are a threat to everyone and everything..." Valerie said with a stern expression.

"It's settled then? We'll all meet up as soon as anything happens..." Clemont stated, getting a nod from everyone in the call.

"Understood Clemont, and thank you for calling us," Korrina stated as the others began to wink out.

"No problem Korrina..." Clemont smiled, closing the call.

Clemont's holo caster began to beep. He picked it up and saw that it was Looker so he answered it.

"Good morning Clemont, how did it all go?" Looker inquired curiously.

"They all agreed to help. As you said, we can't just sit by and watch a repeat of what happened previously. Had they not been able to break out...well, the world could have ended for all we know," Clemont muttered.

"Yes...it does seem that Team Flare's objective is that ludicrous...I am beginning to suspect that there is more to the story than we've been led to believe. There must be someone who knows about what's going on..." Looker thought as he stroked his chin.

"What about that exotic woman we saw that day? She seemed like she knew something, call it a hunch...but I think we should find her..." Clemont said, getting an affirmative nod from Looker.

"That sounds like a viable plan...if I recall, she is usually seen around Hotel Richissime meaning she's got some wealth to spread around. Any place that luxurious attracts that type of crowd. I'll start there...perhaps I can get some information out of her. I'll invite her to Restraunt Le Wow...it's an invitation most can't refuse," Looker smirked.

"I'll come too, Gym Leaders have special privileges...I'll be able to get in and do some recording...we'll use whatever we find to our advantage," Clemont stated.

"It's settled then, this afternoon you will accompany me there...and bring your sister too. It will make things look less suspicious if she's with you. Having children around seems to lighten the mood and put people relatively at ease..." Looker said with a faint smile.

"Well...I suppose you're right. Okay, I'll get ready..." Clemont said as he ended the call.

"What's going on Clemont?" Bonnie asked curiously, hugging Dedenne to herself as she spoke.

"We're going out to eat today Bonnie," Clemont smiled.

"Oh! Is it that really sparkly fancy place?!" Bonnie asked excitedly.

"Yep, now let's go get ready. Looker is going to meet us there," Clemont said with a smirk.

"You mean that strange man we were with three days ago?" Bonnie inquired.

"Yes...him, and he's not that strange, that's rude Bonnie, now go get ready," Clemont said firmly.

"Okay big brother!" Bonnie chirped happily as she dashed off to find an outfit.

Clemont sighed to himself as he went to his closet. This was going to be a rather interesting day. He could only hope it went off without a hitch. Otherwise, things would get real bad really fast. Not that they already weren't that way in the first place. He couldn't help but wonder what Tadashi and the others were up to. Perhaps he should explain the plan to them so they could get an idea of what to expect. Yeah, that's what he'd do. Then again...perhaps he ought to wait until after the meeting with that woman and Looker.

An hour passed by and soon Clemont and Bonnie were out of the room. Clemont was wearing a formal white dress shirt and blue tie which matched his sky blue pants and white shoes. Bonnie had on her cute little brown dress with the white frills that she liked so much.

"So, what are we doing afterwards Clemont?" Bonnie asked as the two walked down the sidewalk.

"After this, we're going to see Tadashi and the others so we can inform them about what we find. Looker messaged be about half an hour ago saying he'd managed to track the woman down and make the arrangements. She seemed more than willing to comply...considering Looker was paying for the meal. The woman has enough money to do so herself but he insisted he pay," Clemont stated as he and Bonnie came up to the restraunt. It had been a while since he'd been in there.

As he entered, he saw that the place was as elegant as usual. Many of the crowd were among the high class. Diantha often ate here and many hoped to get the chance to meet her. He didn't need to show the host who he was, considering everyone knew Clemont.

"Clemont? What a surprise, I wasn't expecting to see you here," Looker said as he walked up behind Clemont.

Clemont turned around to see Looker, escorting Gwendolyn in. Her arm locked with his. It seemed Looker knew how to be a gentleman. Looker wore his usual suited attire along with his trademark coat. Gwendolyn had on a matching green dress that was similar to the one she'd been seen in on their first meeting.

Bonnie's eyes went wide with delight as she saw how beautiful the woman was. She felt like a kid in a candy store.

"Wow! Pretty!" Bonnie chirped as excitedly, falling to one knee at the proclamation.

"You should marry my big brother!" Bonnie declared.

As she said this, a gloved mechanical arm reached out and grabbed her, pulling back back towards Clemont.

"Bonnie! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that? It's embarrassing," Clemont scolded her.

Bonnie pouted and crossed her arms as Clemont put her down.

Gwendolyn simply giggled at how cute Bonnie was being.

"I think it's rather adorable!" Gwendolyn laughed.

"Well, now that we're here, why don't we go to our table?" Looker said as he glanced over at the host who nodded and beckoned them to follow.

Clemont made his way to his own table a good distance from Looker and Gwendolyn. It was obvious that Looker acted as if he didn't know Clemont would be there. This was a delicate operation, considering that he had a sneaking suspicion that this woman was connected to Team Flare.

Looker and Gwendolyn sat down and their drinks were ordered first. Gwendolyn popped open a menu, glancing down at the many savory delicacies that were listed. Her attention was then drawn to Looker who was also contemplating his choice.

"So, Looker, to what do I owe this occasion? It's not often that an officer of the law asks a woman like me on a date, I must say I'm flattered..." Gwendolyn said with a sly grin.

"Call it whatever you desire, I assure you that it's much more than that. Call it a Q and A session...I ask questions, you give me answers..." Looker said with a smirk.

"Trying to learn more about me huh? Do I fascinate you that much...detective?" Gwendolyn grinned.

"Quite..." Looker replied as his drink came. He'd ordered a tall glass of red wine on the rocks to delude the potency.

Gwendolyn had ordered something a bit stronger. She took a sip of her drink and set it down before glancing back at Looker.

"So, what is it that you want to know? From what you asked me back at the hotel, it sounds like you are interested in finding out what Team Flare is up to..." Gwendolyn said with a devious smirk.

"You catch on quick. This will go a lot more smoothly...and it might keep you from ending up in prison if you tell me everything I want to know..." Looker said firmly, quieting down as their waiter came to them for their orders.

After taking them, the waiter took the menus and made haste to the kitchen to make sure the food was being prepared. Looker turned back to Gwendolyn who was fidgeting with the top of her dress. It was distracting to say the least.

"Ahem...as I was saying...I would like you to tell me everything you know about Team Flare. I doubt that it was a coincidence that you were sitting in that cafe. And also, you didn't seem too surprised when Tadashi blasted the door down with what appeared to be his hand. From that point on, I suspected you knew something..." Looker deduced.

"Was it that obvious? I thought I looked plenty shocked..." Gwendolyn snickered, lying of course, she knew she wouldn't be surprised.

"Plainly...now, talk..." Looker said firmly.

"Well, the line 'take me out to eat' doesn't really apply here as a bargaining statement now does it? Since you were nice enough to do this, I'll tell you what I know...but in exchange...you need to do something for me..." Gwendolyn winked.

"With all due respect...I think you're a beautiful woman, and I know that many a man would probably beg you to lie with them...but I'm not going to give in to that temptation..." Looker said firmly.

"Tsk, tsk, that wasn't what I was going to ask you detective. Though you are right, it would have been a good method to bargain with...however what I want is something entirely different. I think once I reveal this to you, you'll agree that the terms are fair..." Gwendolyn said with a smirk.

"Go ahead then...we've got some time to kill..." Looker said as their food came over.

Clemont was listening nearby and already had his recording device ready.

"You see, the man you found in the rubble all bruised with broken ribs and and fractured arms was my husband. I'll admit, I had joined him on his escapades with Team Flare, mainly due to the fact that he had money, and power...something I wanted of course. One has their objective and mine was certainly his wallet..." Gwendolyn said as she took a bite of her pasta.

"I don't see what that has to do with the situation at hand..." Looker said with a raised brow, taking in a mouthful of chicken.

"I'm getting to that. You see, that man, I met in Unova. I was one of the featured actresses in Poke Star Studios. My main role was playing the villain of course. It was rather thrilling to say the least. Anyway...he seemed enthralled with me when he saw my performances. I saw he had money and well, you can say it was 'love at first sight,'" Gwendolyn mused.

"The point is, that man had another woman he was married to at the time but after a few years of seeing me, he decided to divorce her to run away with me. The poor woman never knew until he told her in a letter he'd given. After the divorce was made final we got married soon after. Here's the kicker...I believe you know this woman by the name of Claudia. She has a daughter named Clarice..." Gwendolyn smirked.

Looker's face went rather pale. So this was the woman that Claudia's husband took off with. Why would anyone leave a beautiful woman like Claudia? Gwendolyn was equally gorgeous but her actions were deceptive.

"He is now imprisoned from what I understand? You know that he tried to kill Clarice by now I imagine. So, in exchange for the information I'm going to share, I want papers of divorce sent to him. Also...I want all of his belongings taken from him and all of his money transferred into my bank account. That should be a fair enough proposition...one you probably shouldn't refuse since the fate of this world as we know it hangs in the balance..." Gwendolyn said forebodingly.

Looker couldn't believe how greedy this woman was. She had used others for selfish gain, however...she herself had committed no crime that he knew of. Her records were clean when he looked at them. She had some serious character flaws however, and one of them was greed. He could arrest her for being involved with Team Flare, however...since she had much needed info and had never actually participated with the assaults Team Flare carried out, he couldn't cuff her since she didn't do anything initially wrong.

"Your request will be granted...now, tell me what you know..." Looker stated as he took another bite.

"Sit back detective, you might want to write this down because what I'm going to tell you...you can't afford to forget..." Gwendolyn grinned.

An hour went by as Gwendolyn explained the entire plot to Looker. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Ultimate Weapon? A massive global genocide? As much as he hated to, he was going to have to agree to the terms she set for giving the information. Clemont and Bonnie were stunned to hear all of this as well. When Gwendolyn finished her explanation, Clemont stopped the recording.

'I've got to warn the other Gym Leaders...this isn't good!' Clemont thought as he finished up his meal.

"And you're sure that's the truth?" Looker said, masking the horrified feeling inside of him.

"Yep...that's pretty much it. If they're planning anything else I wouldn't know about it. I got what I wanted and left so there was no reason to stay," Gwendolyn shrugged.

"Well...thank you...I am grateful to you for sharing that with me. Now, if you are finished, I'll take care of the bill and we can be on our way. I will escort you back to the hotel," Looker said as he stood up, holding out his arm for Gwendolyn to take.

Clemont had already left and was frantically calling the other leaders. Soon, seven screens popped up beside his own, indicating they all got his call.

"Guys! This is bad. Really bad!" Clemont said as his hands trembled while holding the device.

"What's wrong Clemont, spill it!" Korrina said as she looked at him on screen.

Clemont hit the playback button on the recording device and linked it up to his X-Tranceiver so they could all hear it. When it stopped, everyone had the same reaction.

"We need to get moving...but we don't know where they are exactly. Gwendolyn said she hadn't been to their main base of operations as she mainly stayed in Lumiose. Her husband never told her about it, at least that's what she claims..." Clemont said, not exactly believing what Gwendolyn said regarding that matter.

"Well, we need to find someone who does, if that's what they're planning, we can't let them get away with it..." Viola said firmly.

"I knew something like this would happen, though I couldn't fully predict something of this magnitude...I was close. As for the Ultimate Weapon...I thought that was sealed away 3000 years ago. How they got ahold of it is beyond me..." Olympia sighed.

"Well, however they did it...it needs to be stopped. Clemont, go find Tadashi and the others. I suspect one of them must know something," Valerie replied.

"Got it, I'm on it!" Clemont said as he closed the conversation. He then turned tail and ran for the Pokemon Center in which Tadashi and the others were presumably located. Thankfully, he was able to locate them. They were all sitting at a table, laughing together as if nothing happened at all. Tadashi was the first to notice Clemont, and from the look on his face and the exhaustion he exuded, he could tell he'd come to them in a hurry.

"Hey Clemont, it's been a while...what's up?" Tadashi began.

"Oh not much, just had lunch...and found out that Team Flare consists of a bunch of psycho nut jobs who plan to destroy the world!" Clemont stated, frantically waving his arms.

Tadashi blinked in surprise and looked at the others. It was obvious that Clemont had a lot to tell them but condensed it for times sake.

"So...it's like I read after all..." Trinity sighed, shaking her head as she leaned forward in her seat.

"That file wasn't lying...which means Tiana will be...no..." Trinity said in a trembling voice. Victor put a gentle hand on her shoulder to try to calm her down.

"What file? What's going on Trinity?" Tadashi asked firmly.

"The reason I helped you all out...was because I discovered that I was being lied to. I already told this to you Tadashi...but Clemont doesn't know. They have my sister in a medical room in their main base. Her life fades daily and she is barely hanging on. If something isn't done...she will die," Trinity said, holding back tears as she spoke.

"I thought they were going to harness the power they'd collected to help her...and others...that's what I was led to believe. That's what I thought they meant by a more pure world, not some crazy genocide!" Trinity said as she slammed her fist onto the table.

"Trinity...I beg you...please tell me where their main base is located. I think there is a way to fix all of this..." Clemont said pleadingly.

"It's...it's in Geosenge..." Trinity stated.

Everyone's eyes went wide in almost perfect unison.

"But...we've been there. And there was no sign of a base that close. All they had were a bunch of...stones..." Victor said, remembering how abnormally large the stones were.

Tadashi remembered them as well. How could he forget? It was the second time he'd met up with Tyson...and where he first saw Lucario. Something wasn't adding up, but what?

"Are you sure, Trinity? I mean...Geosenge is such a peaceful town. And besides, there's nowhere for a base to be put...are you sure it's not somewhere else?" Clarice inquired with a skeptical look on her face.

"No...it's there, I know because I've been there. I was asked to deter you all away from Geosenge...some of our agents were nearby and we couldn't afford to have you find where we were...well, where they were now...I don't associate myself with them any longer..." Trinity sighed.

"Wait...you were with Team Flare?!" Clemont gasped.

"Correct...I was...but not any longer...they deceived me...and now they must pay..." Trinity grimaced.

At that moment, several holo casters went off at once. It appeared as though there was a message being broadcasted city wide. The face of Lysandre appeared and this did not look to be a message of good tidings.

"Citizens of Lumiose...it has come to my attention that there are several of you who seek to fight against Team Flare. We have come too far with our plans for anyone else to interfere. Therefore, the entire city will be purified of those who have not already joined us. This world shall be cleansed of all the fools who sully it with their filth. And as for a certain group of trainers...you know who you are...if you wish to stop us, come and find us. I know you know where I am now..." Lysandre winked out and the room went deadly quiet.

Clemont's X-Transceiver rang off the hook and he immediately picked it up. All seven screens, including his lit up.

"Clemont, we heard the message. It was broadcasted all over Kalos...we're on our way to Lumiose now!" Korrina stated, racing through what appeared to be reflection cave at this point.

"Please hurry! I have a feeling that they'll strike any minute!" Clemont said in a panicked voice.

"We're on our way!"

_**And it's about to get real! I'd like to give a shout out to PG-13 as a few chapters ago he probably unknowingly...put the idea in my head for the Gym Leaders to get involved. Either that or he did it intentionally. Anyway, so yes, you heard right. Lumiose is in trouble! How will they all handle it? Wanna know? Find out on the next installment of The Flames of Revolution! **_


	37. Chapter 37

**Aloha! Welcome back to another installment of this fanfic. I hope you all are enjoying yourselves because I sure am! So yeah, last chapter, Lumiose is going to be in for it. And what do we have here? A familiar scenario from the beloved BW series. Two Leaders Tadashi hadn't even fought yet, and the other six he and the gang bested are going to be making an early debut! I hope you've fastened your seatbelts...because this, as one of you reviewers put it, it's about to go down! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 37: Under Siege! The Cavalry Arrives!**

"Clemont...what's going on? I'm scared..." Bonnie said with a nervous look on her visage.

"Clemont...how long do you think it will be before Lumiose is under fire?" Victor inquired.

"There's no telling...Team Flare seems to strike when least expected. It's never their style to announce their assault...so why now?" Clemont said with a trembling voice.

"That last statement...sounded like a challenge..." Tadashi said as he stood up to walk towards the door.

"Tadashi...if you even think about going there by yourself I will tie you down and force you to stay..." Clarice grumbled.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to let him get away with this? The longer we sit here, the more time he has to power up that machine of his and blast us all six feet under!" Tadashi snapped back.

"Tadashi's right...if we wait here, we'll be killed, but if we move out we'll have a greater chance of stopping their plan. However...we can't abandon Lumiose. Honestly...why would they threaten the city? They have a weapon that can reduce the populace to ashes..." Victor stated firmly.

"I think I have a good idea why..." Trinity sighed, looking out the window as people were starting to flee the city. She didn't blame them, who wouldn't run?

"It's to stall. Now that I'm out of the organization, Lysandre figured that I told you guys about the plan. He knows that if we all go after him at once, his goal won't be reached as easily as he wants it to be. So he's going to turn Lumiose into a war zone..." Trinity said flatly.

"In essence...he's not only going to commit mass genocide...but he's going to destroy an entire city beforehand...sounds a bit counterproductive...if he's that confident in the machine's ability he should just use it instead...so why doesn't he?" Clarice muttered.

"Because he probably doesn't have the energy needed to pull off such a massive assault. From what know about this Ultimate Weapon...it once wiped out everything. The world faded to nothingness. I heard this due to the man named AZ revealing it to me in a story. Though he doesn't talk much...he has quite a history it seems..." Tadashi murmured.

"So it really does have the capability to commit a global assault...great..." Victor muttered.

Clemont was about to speak again when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. People were running in the opposite direction of where he saw them last. A Houndoom darted by the Pokemon Center along with a few individuals in red suits. His eyes widened at this. It had already begun and sooner than he'd expected. Everyone else saw this and ducked down to avoid being seen.

"Great...they're already here. And from the looks of things, they're packing a ton of fully evolved powerhouses...and I think I saw a few of them with Evolutionary Rays...they must have put all of those pokeballs to good use then..." Trinity spat.

"We can't just sit here...we need to help them, let's try to move out without drawing attention to ourselves. We can't afford for the Pokemon Center to get damaged. We'll need them active to bring in any injured..." Tadashi said as he moved slowly towards the door.

He felt a tug on his shoulder and turned around. It was Clarice. She had a stern expression on her face that seemed to be masking worry behind it.

"We're all going with you...so don't just walk off like you always do..." Clarice grumbled.

Tadashi nodded and the group proceeded to exit the center. Before they could get out, an explosion resounded directly across from them. The group darted outside to see the cause of the explosion only to be horrified at the sight. It was Sycamore's lab. Some of the assistants had stumbled outside and were gasping for air. Tadashi immediately darted towards the lab. One of the female assistants was about to fall face forward until Tadashi caught her. The other assistants were helped by the rest of the group. Most were unconscious and just barely breathing.

"Wh-what's going...-cough-...on?" She asked, looking up at Tadashi.

"I remember you...you're that boy who came in and got that...-cough-...Fennekin..." She said weakly.

"Yes...but we don't have time to talk about that...are you alright? And also...where's Sycamore?" Tadashi inquired, looking back at the inferno that was spreading through the lab.

"He's still in the lab...he began returning as many...-cough-...Pokemon to their pokeballs as possible. Please...you have to...save him..." She breathed out before passing out.

"Guys...get them to the Pokemon Center. I'm going in after Sycamore..." Tadashi stated firmly.

"No Tadashi! I'm not about to watch you run into another fire. I just got you back and you think I'm just going to watch you go in without knowing if you'll be back? Arceus you are stupid!" Clarice snarled, grabbing his arm before he could turn to leave.

"Let go Clarice..." Tadashi said firmly.

"No chance Tadashi. I'm not letting go, you'll have to drag me in there with you for that to happen," Clarice growled.

"Why? So you can get hurt?" Tadashi shot back.

"Why? Because I love you...idiot!" Clarice snapped back.

Tadashi's eyes widened at this declaration. Clarice still didn't let go of his arm. Her shoulders were trembling and she was doing her best not to cry, and was failing miserably.

"I thought we were all going to die in that horrible prison. I thought you already were...and now that you're healed, now that you're with me, you want to leave again?" Clarice sniffed, trying to choke back the tears.

Tadashi had no words for what he was hearing. As much as he'd like to think about the signs that were right in front of his face...he had no time, he needed to get Sycamore out of there.

"Clarice...I think I have a plan that might work...I know it's dangerous for me to go in there. And I know that you don't want me getting burned again...or worse. I'll need you to send out Greninja and douse me with water. Anyone else who has a water type needs to focus on the building. The rest of you, get these people to safety and then go help the citizens. We're wasting valuable time...everyone's lives...the WORLD is depending on us..." Tadashi said as he turned to Clarice.

"Please...trust me on this Clarice..." Tadashi said as he looked into her eyes pleadingly.

Her response was a simple one. She released Greninja and ordered it to cover Tadashi in water to ward off the flames in case he ran into trouble. The cool water ran over Tadashi's body which sent a few chills down his spine. This was good though, he needed it to get through there.

"Come back to me alive..." Clarice muttered, giving Tadashi's hand a firm squeeze before releasing it.

"I will, now...the rest of you, send out whatever water types you have so we can keep the flames from spreading any farther," Tadashi said as he turned towards the building and darted inside.

The heat inside was intense enough that at a mere touch it would cause severe burns. These were not ordinary flames...they were flames from a Houndoom. By the looks of things...a Mega Houndoom. Tadashi raced through the lab, calling out.

"Sycamore! Professor Sycamore!" Tadashi hollered, hoping for a reply, but none came.

Sycamore was inside the place where he had given Tadashi and the others their first Pokemon. He was sitting in a corner to avoid contact with the flames. His ears twitched as he thought he heard someone calling out to him. In his arms was an injured Floette.

"It'll be okay...as long as we're over here, the flames won't get to us...yet..." Sycamore sighed as he looked towards the door.

"I could have sworn I heard someone call my name...I must be imagining things...I guess this is what happens when you're about to die huh?" Sycamore said with a sigh.

Sycamore's arms were both badly burned and so was his left leg after the explosion as he had shielded the Floette from the blast. A sigh escaped his lips as he watched the crackling flames.

"Sycamore!" Tadashi's voice called out again.

This time he heard it. He thought he'd imagined it at first because last he knew, Tadashi and the others were long gone. Not wasting time, he called back to Tadashi.

"Tadashi! I'm in here!" Sycamore shouted back.

Hearing this, Tadashi whirled around to see that the sound was coming from the distribution part of the lab. If he recalled, it was that beautiful grassy place with all the water and Pokemon playing around. He raced towards that part of the lab hurriedly. The door itself was ablaze, however he was covered in a layer of water from Clarice's Greninja so he should be fine. Flaring up his aura, he delivered a force palm to the door and blasted it off its hinges. The flames didn't hurt him, which he was thankful for.

Sycamore glanced towards the door in shock as Tadashi walked over the door. Tadashi made his way over to Sycamore and glanced down at the mans injuries. He also took note of the Floette in Sycamore's arms and a pokeball on the ground next to him.

"Tadashi? What's going on?" Sycamore said wearily as Tadashi brought him to his feet.

"Team Flare is attacking the city...I guess their primary objective was to take out the lab first. Anyway, we've got no time to talk now...we need to move, pronto!, return that Floette so we can get out of here," Tadashi said as he supported Sycamore. Floette was returned quickly and Tadashi took it and clipped it to his belt. Since it was neither his or anyone elses, it was able to stay there without any issues.

The others were outside trying to put out the fire. Victor had his Crawdaunt out and Clarice used her Greninja and Blastoise. The inside of the building was still scorching hot, and the flames couldn't have been more intense. Tadashi rounded the corner and spotted the exit.

"We're almost there Sycamore..." Tadashi said as he made for the door.

Just above the door, one of the supports began to collapse which was definitely a problem. Clarice was watching on the outside, praying in her head that Tadashi would be okay. Suddenly, the support gave way and collapsed on floor before her.

"Greninja! Put that fire out quick! Clarice ordered.

Greninja fired a water pulse towards the fire, dicing through the support to clear a path for Tadashi who she didn't even know was near the door.

'Thanks Clarice...' Tadashi thought as he dragged Sycamore out of the lab.

Tadashi and Sycamore stumbled out of the lab, Sycamore looking a bit worse for wear at the moment.

"Victor, let's get Sycamore to the center...he needs medical attention immediately. His burns are very severe!" Tadashi said with authority, getting a nod from Clarice and Victor.

The three of them helped Sycamore into the Pokemon Center as Sycamore had passed out from the pain and exhaustion.

"Professor!" The nurse said in a panicked voice, rushing over the counter to meet Tadashi and the others as they carried in Sycamore.

"He'll be okay, but he needs immediate attention, we've gotta get back out there!" Tadashi said as he made for the door.

"Right! I'll get right on it. I need a stretcher in here, stat!" She voiced to the back room. Several assistants rushed in with a stretcher and helped Sycamore onto it.

"Thanks...come on you guys, we need to get out there...where are Trinity and the others?" Tadashi asked.

"They went to different parts of the city, they're trying to evacuate as many as they can. They're running into a lot of Team Flare though...and I mean A LOT. Trinity had to fight off a few while we hosed down the lab. She tore off after a couple of them who ran away after Abby Mega Evolved...I swear she was never this cocky when she was with us..." Victor grumbled.

"That's good then...but what I'm worried about now is everyone in the city...and also, did you catch where Jake and the other two went? I'm guessing in the opposite direction of Trinity...wherever that is..." Tadashi sighed as they got outside.

"Exactly...Trinity took off towards route 13, Blake went towards route 16, Madeline route 14 and Jake route 4 and five. Something about wanting to keep the destruction from getting to the place he met his friends...I assume that's you and Clarice," Victor chuckled.

"Yeah...we met him there...but that's beside the point, we need to stop this madness...it's getting out of hand!" Clarice shouted as they all took off running.

"We should split up if we're going to cover the entire city. I'll get aerial surveillance on everything from the air. I need to find out where most of the attacks are being directed so I can neutralize them...you two try to keep Team Flare at bay anywhere you find them. We can't let them destroy the place..." Tadashi said as an explosion echoed in the distance, most likely near Prisim tower where Clemont and Bonnie probably took off to defend.

"Wait...that tower is basically the symbol of hope to the city. Clemont is their leader and is relied on to help them in times like these. That must be their objective as well. The tower still stands so they must be fighting over there...which means that's where I'm headed..." Tadashi said as he fired Charizard's pokeball, releasing the great lizard.

"Just be careful out there Tadashi...I don't want you coming back with more bruises and bumps like last time. Just once I'd like to be able to hold you without you wincing..." Clarice pouted as she turned to head out with Victor.

"I'll try to be careful...no promises though..." Tadashi said as he hopped on his partner's back.

"Alright Charizard, head towards Prisim Tower!" Tadashi commanded. Charizard fired a blast of flames into the air as his affirmative before beating his mighty wings and taking off.

"You'd better come back to me...Tadashi..." Clarice thought as she watched him shoot off into the distance.

Tadashi made it to Prisim Tower quite quickly and circled overhead as he watched Clemont battling it out with Team Flare. He glanced down at a Pokemon he didn't know Clemont even had. Tadashi took out his pokedex and pointed it at the pokemon.

"Luxray...the Gleam Eyes Pokemon. When its eyes gleam gold, it can spot hiding prey, even those taking shelter behind a wall.." The pokedex informed.

"Neat...and it looks like he's giving Team Flare some trouble, although he won't be able to keep this up forever. How about we give him some backup Charizard?" Tadashi smirked. Charizard nodded and dove straight down.

"Keep up the defenses everyone!" Clemont commanded his pokemon. Magneton and Heliolisk were fending off flamethrowers from hitting the tower with thunderbolts. Luxray tore through some of the defenses but was knocked back by what appeared to be a Rhyperior. This was going to be trouble. Ground types...just what he needed.

"You can't keep defending the tower forever, eventually we're going to burn it to the ground..." The voice of Gloria said with a smirk.

The Rhyperior belonged to her as she had recently brought it to its final evolutionary state with the Evolutionary Ray she had on her back. Due to the boost it received due to the added adrenaline pumping effects that were stored to give the ray a more potent effect, this particular Rhyperior was boasting considerable force.

Luxray struggled to his feet, the thunder lion growling at the towering foe before him. Clemont staggered back as the powerful behemoth advanced on him. Clemont suddenly looked up and caught sight of something plummeting towards the ground at very high speeds. Suddenly, Rhyperior was smashed into the ground by a powerful force, causing a massive crater and several aftershocks that sent Team Flare, and unfortunately Clemont and Bonnie flying back, the former grabbing his sister to avoid her being hurt too badly when they fell back.

When the dust settled, a Lucario rose up from the ground ontop of a a thoroughly concussed Rhyperior. Considering its weakness to fighting type moves due to it having a rock subtype, and the fact that Lucario crashed into him from twenty feet up with a force palm, there was no chance that Rhyperior would be getting up anytime soon. The sound of flapping wings was heard as Charizard hovered down next to the fighting steel-type with Tadashi on his back. Clemont and Bonnie got up and saw Tadashi seated atop his Charizard. Gloria also got up, along with the grunts who seemed a bit disoriented.

"YOU!" Gloria snarled, pointing at Tadashi who hopped off of his Charizard with a smirk.

"I have a name you know..." Tadashi muttered, looking rather put off considering nobody seemed to use his name. First it was Clarice when they ran into each other a few times, then it was Tyson, and now her...this never ceased to be annoying.

"Right...the annoying brat who made a mess of the lab...how can I forget that?" Gloria growled.

"I'm surprised you're even awake after what Gardevoir did to you two...I'm guessing you all woke up after we left and managed to get out before the police came...too bad that won't help you here..." Tadashi smirked.

"You humiliated me back there...but this won't end the same as last time...not with what I have in store for you..." Gloria grinned devilishly.

"As much as I'd like to stay and play...I don't have the time to be dealing with all of you..." Tadashi muttered, tossing out Gardevoir in the process.

'These people again?' Gardevoir inquired, sighing as she saw Gloria and the grunts behind her.

'Yep...you know what to do...' Tadashi replied.

Before they knew it, the grunts and Admin (Gloria) were flung through the air, crashing into the sides of several buildings in near perfect unison.

'Showing off a little are we?' Tadashi said with a raised brow.

'Can't help it...I evolved, what did you expect?' Gardevoir shrugged.

'Point...' Tadashi sighed as he turned to Clemont and extended his hand.

"You okay?" Tadashi asked as he helped the Gym Leader onto his feet. Bonnie got up with little injury while Clemont sustained a scraped left knee and a bruised left shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little sore...that was rough," Clemont muttered.

"Sorry about that...I saw that Rhyperior was giving you trouble so I instinctively threw Lucario out...apparently he wanted to try an aerial assault and didn't count on the point of impact being as destructive as it was..." Tadashi mumbled.

"It's no problem...had you not taken out that Rhyperior...well, things would have gotten a little dicey for me," Clemont said with a chuckle.

"Doesn't Mageneton know Flash Cannon?" Tadashi deadpanned.

"Eheh...so it does...but it was preoccupied so it wouldn't have been able to react fast enough, anyway...we're getting off track. Also..." Clemont said, pointing to the knocked out Team Flare members.

"Was that necessary?" Clemont mumbled.

"Entirely...the police will be able to round them up presumably within the next few hours once this blows over...however this could take a while. We need to get moving to other parts of the city..." Tadashi said as he recalled his companions.

"Right...let's get moving Bonnie," Clemont said to his sister who was shaken up a bit but glad to see Tadashi in this situation.

"Thank you Tadashi!" She chirped happily before running to keep up with them.

"Not a problem, now let's keep going!" Tadashi called over his shoulder as they ran.

The tower had been spared, but the rest of the city wasn't in as good a shape. The gang was having their fill of Team Flare as they were outnumbered 5 to 1 respectively. Team Flare seemed to have a habit of utilizing their vast numbers to overwhelm their opponents.

Jake was fighting off a few Grunts at a time with his Talonflame and Flygon. Madeline had her hands full on her section of the city fending off several houndoom with her Masquerain and Golduck combination. Blake was doing his best with his Dodrio and Scrafty. By the looks of things, they had all taken their training seriously, but two of them knew the real reason, they wanted to best Tadashi, Victor, Clarice and even Trinity.

They were outnumbered however, and their teams were getting tired and losing energy fast. Jake's team was the first to fall, followed by Blake and Madeline's. The three weren't aware that they had somehow been defeated at the same time. Their teams were exhausted. Jake backed away from the encroaching Houndoom in front of him, only to fall on his rear. It got closer to Jake and opened its mouth, fire crackling in it as he prepared to release it, only to be smashed aside by the tail of an Onix.

The grunt in command of the Houndoom looked up to see a dark skinned young man who had several stones in his hair and was wearing what looked to be climbing attire. A smirk crossed the young man's features as he stepped beside Jake.

"Long time no see Jake, it looks like you've come a long way since I saw you last," Grant laughed, picking up Jake from the ground.

"Oh wow, Grant! Am I ever glad to see you!" Jake said as he turned towards Team Flare with an irritated look on his face.

Blake was being backed into a corner by a Hariyama only for it to be blasted away by a powerful psychic attack. Blake blinked in surprise as he saw a woman walking towards the battle ground wearing a dress with a cap flowing behind her, baring the stars of the galaxy within. Psychic energy radiated from her being as she trekked alongside a Meowstic.

"It would appear that I made it in time...you are very fortunate young trainer..." Olympia said with a brief smile.

Blake blinked in surprise. He had no clue who this woman was, but she was awfully powerful by the looks of things. Hariyama looked as though it had gotten sidelined by a semi. It was incapacitated.

Madeline was was avoiding several lightning enduced attacks from a Manectric. As one of them was about to fire thunder attack, an ice ball about the size of a large boulder smashed into it with devastating force. The source of said ice ball was an Avalugg and next to the ice behemoth was a rather large and burly man with white facial hair. He was tall and quite rotund.

"Close one there, are you alright?" The man who was undoubtably Wulfric, said as he walked up beside Madeline.

"Y-yeah...I'm fine, thanks," Madeline said with a nervous smile.

All over the city, the Gym Leaders showed up to aid in the battle. Elliot, who was forced to retreat due to the appearance of Valerie, doubled back into an alley and sent out a message on his holo caster.

Lysandre's holo caster beeped, signalling him to pick it up. Seeing it was Elliot, he answered with a sigh.

"Speak...is everything going according to plan?" Lysandre inquired.

"Everything WAS until the Gym Leaders showed up! Valerie is here which completely shuts me down and I think I spotted Korrina wreaking havoc with her Mega Lucario! It's chaos over here...I don't know if we're going to be able to keep this up much longer!" Elliot grumbled.

Lysandre sighed and ended the call, standing up from his chair to face the scientists.

"It appears that the Gym Leaders have chosen to join the fray. I have to admit...I hadn't entirely counted on them doing so. This is but a minor setback...the distraction should hold them off until preparations are complete...keep working in the meantime..." Lysandre said as he exited the room.

_**And Lumiose is under attack! But it looks as though the situation is under control as the Gym Leaders arrive on the scene. Team Flare needed the distraction so they could continue to gather energy for the weapon to be prepared enough to fire. Tadashi and his friends need to get to Geosenge as fast as possible because time is of the essence! Will they make it? Or will Lysandre bathe the world in Flames of Revolution? Find out in the next installment! **_


	38. Chapter 38

**It's that time again everyone! So, what did you think of the previous chapter? It was a little difficult to pull off towards the end since I was debating on how to bring the Gym Leaders in. Anyway, now that it's established that they're in the fight, the focus can be shifted to them for a while. What? Gotta put them in the spotlight too you know? Anyway, let's rock and roll! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 38: The Might of Kalos**

The city was still in utter chaos. The parts that weren't being aided by the Gym Leaders were set ablaze. Citizens were in a panic and doing their best to escape. Some of them were torched so they wouldn't escape. Severe burns covered their bodies and some even tried to crawl towards the routes they knew would lead them to safety. A mother and her nine year old son were backed into a corner in an ally. They were staring down a Houndoom and a Scizor. As they closed in, two large shadows leapt out at them, ramming them into a wall adjacent to them, knocking them out. A red beam of light shot out and recalled whatever the heck hit the two pokemon before the mother and son knew what happened.

She stared into the alleyway to see two individuals wearing a mask over their eyes. She couldn't really make out anything else other than the fact that there was a male and female. The two darted off into the shadows, most likely to deal with any other issues developing.

Korrina and her Mega Lucario were making short work of the grunts she came across. Between her skating around while attacking and her Mega Lucario's dizzying speed, the grunts really were no match. Korrina whirled around and delivered an axe kick to one of the grunts, knocking them out cold. Mega Lucario followed suit and incapacitated another. Korrina's eyes shifted to the side to see Tadashi running ahead of Clemont and Bonnie. Her focus was mainly on Tadashi since they had made a promise to each other to become stronger. From the looks of things, he was doing just that. A smirk rested itself on her features as she skated off to look for more trouble.

Trinity was having her hands full with Jamie and Shinji again. They were double teaming her and this time she was without Tadashi's backup so it was a little more difficult to deal with. She had dealt with them in two on one situations before and prevailed...but now that they both had Megas...it wasn't as easy. Abby avoided a heavy slam and barely dodged a stone edge. She was getting tired which was just what Shinji and Jamie wanted. And with the sandstorm adding damage, it was only a matter of time.

"Don't have your friend here to back you up anymore huh? That's too bad, we were looking to pay him back for the humiliation he caused us..." Jamie snarled.

"You two wouldn't last any longer with him than you have with me. I'm fighting with a numbers disadvantage and you two are still struggling to keep up..." Trinity muttered. Shielding her eyes from the sandstorm.

"Cocky aren't you? We'll see how confident you are after this. Tyranitar, use hyper beam!" Jamie commanded.

"Aggron, use iron tail!" Shinji ordered.

The Mega Aggron lashed out at Abby who leapt upwards to avoid the iron tail. Unfortunately, she had no way of avoiding the oncoming hyper beam and took the blast full on, sending her sprawling backwards and landing in an injured heap.

"Abby!" Trinity cried out, backing up as Aggron charged over.

"Take it out with heavy slam!" Shinji called out.

Just as Mega Aggron was about to finish the job, it was blasted out of the way by the force of a rather large steel tail. There, towering above several of the buildings, was a massive steel snake Pokemon. This was definitely a steelix but something was different about it. It was longer than usual, and had metal scraps rotating around its neck almost psychic-like in manner. Instead of the usual red, its eyes were blue. It's body was different and had a more solid look to it. This 34 foot tall snake was none other than a Mega Steelix. Trinity's eyes widened as she wasn't aware that Steelix even had a Mega Evolution.

"You know...I'm getting a little tired of you freak shows. Seriously...you all practically ruined the color red for me...the only saving grace about those suits is the fact that I could wear them better..." Clarice smirked as she stepped out of an alley.

"We don't even wear those! And besides, our outfits are much cooler!" Shinji snapped.

"Clarice..." Trinity said softly, glancing over at her with an astonished look.

"Now's not the time for talking Trinity..." Clarice muttered, walking up next to her, Steelix lowering its massive head beside her.

Clarice stroked its sleek frame affectionately. She loved her Mega Steelix. It was the perfect manifestation of how she used to be and was now. Hard as steel with walls around her that nobody could penetrate. Until Tadashi busted them down. Steelix was similar to her in that sense. Strong as steel but gentle as well. She turned to Jamie and Shinji with a scowl.

"Who are you anyway? And how dare you mock Team Flare! We are members of the upper elite, the Inferno Branch! Don't mess around with us or you're going to be destroyed!" Jamie snarled.

"Please...I've heard that lame line before. Why don't you two just shut up and let your Pokemon speak for you?" Clarice snapped back.

By this time, Trinity had popped a full restore on Abby who immediately jumped back up. Abby nuzzled into Trinity and then turned to scowl at her attackers. She was not happy.

"Well boys? Are we going to stand here all day? Or are we going to fight? I don't want to waste my time with you two losers...your incompetence has always been a thorn in my side..." Trinity grumbled.

"We'll see who the loser is once we're done with you two! Tyranitar, use stone edge!" Jamie called out.

"Steelix...you know what to do..." Clarice smirked, closing her eyes so no sand would get in them. She seemed perfectly composed.

Mega Steelix didn't even move from his spot. The metal scraps flying around its neck began rotating at wider angles, deflecting the stone edge away from his body, rendering the attack ineffective.

"That's it...Tyranitar, use earthquake!" Jamie cried out in frustration.

"Aggron, use protect!" Shinji ordered, knowing that this would stop the damage from reaching his team.

"Abby, leap up, quick!" Trinity called out.

"Magnet rise..." Clarice ordered.

As Mega Tyranitar slammed his foot into the ground, Mega Steelix's metal scraps began to rotate faster and sparked electricity around his frame. Mega Steelix's body suddenly began to rise off the ground. Clarice and Trinity were shaken up by the quake, but it didn't deter them, nor did it harm their Pokemon.

"Since when the heck could a Steelix use magnet rise?!" Jamie raged.

"It's called tutoring...moron..." Clarice muttered.

"Tyranitar use hyper beam!" Jamie roared.

"Curse..." Clarice ordered.

Mega Steelix's body began to glow a ghostly violet aura. It's speed was drastically reduced but its overall power output was raised significantly. The defenses were sharpened along with the attack power. Steelix took the hyper beam head on, but considering that it was a normal type attack, it did very little to his solidified steel/ground body. The great steel snake simply snorted steam from its nostrils and roared at his attacker.

"By the way...Mega Steelix has a pretty interesting ability..." Clarice said with a smirk as she closed her eyes.

"It's called Sand Force...which raises the power of all ground, rock and steel type moves. I see why the two of you work together...however, with the added boost from Sand Force, none of your Pokemon are able to match Mega Steelix...sorry boys but this is the end of the road for you..." Clarice smirked.

"That's enough out of you! Aggron, let's put her in her place, use iron tail!" Shinji shouted.

"Tyranitar, use stone edge once more!" Jamie ordered.

Clarice sighed and shook her head and pointed in the direction of Tyranitar.

"Knock Aggron away and use gyro ball on Tyranitar," Clarice commanded.

Steelix obeyed her words, sweeping his massive tail sideways to slam the charging Mega Aggron through the building beside it. The scraps around its neck began to spin at wide angles once more, batting away the stone edge as it charged the gyro ball. The attack was soon launched towards Tyranitar and connected with devastating impact. Tyranitar was forced back about ten feet before collapsing onto the ground as an explosion erupted. When the smoke cleared, Tyranitar was lying face up in a crater, unconscious.

Mega Aggron groggily came out of the building it'd been thrown into only to be met by a night slash that had the power of a few swords dances behind it. Trinity had used the time that Clarice bought her to power up Abby to her maximum and the result was rather pleasing. Mega Aggron crashed into the ground, unable to continue the fight.

"Y-you dairy cows!" Shinji yelled.

Trinity and Clarice blinked in confusion as the term was used. Above their head was an image of a Miltank mooing. Raising a brow, they both looked down at their chest. Sure, they were both respectively well sized when it came to that area...but that was just insulting. Clarice's eye twitched, and Trinity's vein on her forehead looked as though it was about to pop. Before the two boys knew it, they were lying face first in the concrete with broken noses and one of them, mainly Shinji, had a dislocated right shoulder. They were both unconscious at this point.

"I swear...why are boys so pigheaded?" Clarice growled, kicking Jamie for good measure, though she knew he wouldn't feel it.

"Yeah...these two in particular are idiots. At least Tadashi and Victor have some dignity...I'll give them credit for that..." Trinity sighed, tapping the mechanisms on the pokeballs of Aggron and Tyranitar to return them.

"Well, we should get going, we've got a lot of ground to cover. We'll let the police handle them for now," Clarice said as she recalled Steelix.

"Right...we've gotta get moving, come on Abby," Trinity beckoned.

Victor seemed to be having troubles of his own at this point. However, he retained a calm expression on his visage so the Admin before him couldn't read his face. His stoic gaze was somewhat icy compared to his laid back demeanor beforehand. A smirk crossed his features as he held out a pokeball in front of him.

"I think it's about time I quit toying with you..." Victor grinned as he released his Pokemon from its chamber.

There stood a large, blue quadruped dragon Pokemon with a gray colored lower jaw. His wings were a lovely shade of crimson. It was said that due to his overwhelming desire to fly, a mutation occurred, giving him wings for flight to feed that desire. He had a thickly scaled underside that was perfect for defensive purposes. Red markings were seen on his tail as well as under his neck where a mega stone hung. The great dragon's roar echoed throughout the city, signaling it's battle cry.

Victor raised his hand high into the air, activating his own mega ring. A powerful aura erupted from around him, the same happening to Salamence who roared as power surged through his frame. Soon, Mega Salamence was born. The Admin wielding a Mega Kangaskan backed up a bit at the appearance of the mighty dragon.

"Dragon rush..." Were the only words that left Victor's mouth.

A blue aura consumed Mega Salamence and with blinding speed he bolted towards Mega Kangaskhan, slamming into it at breakneck speed. Not much could be said for the display of raw power that Victor had demonstrated. The Admin fled from Victor, having used his last Pokemon in the match.

Victor sighed to himself as he hopped on Salamence who returned to normal after the fight.

"I guess we should see how the others are doing, huh buddy?" Victor chuckled, getting an affirmative nod from Salamence.

Meanwhile, a certain hot-blooded individual, namely Tyson, was rampaging through the city, burning whatever he saw by commanding his Mega Houndoom.

"TADASHI! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Tyson roared.

Tyson's eyes shifted over to see a petrified looking young girl who was holding a frightened looking Buneary. The little Pokemon's ears were crossed over her eyes and she was trembling. Tyson looked at the girl with a malicious grin and stormed over towards her, Mega Houndoom snarling at her.

"I suppose if I can't find him, I'll just torch you instead!" Tyson cackled.

As the words left his mouth, a powerful moonblast sent Houndoom flying back, slamming onto the street with considerable force. The hell hound struggled to get up as that attack had done more damage than it should have. Tyson whipped around only to grow pale as he saw who it was. Diantha stood there beside her Mega Gardevoir, a not-so-happy expression on her face as she glared daggers at Tyson.

"Threatening an innocent young girl...that is inexcusable..." Diantha growled, stepping forwards, Mega Gardevoir at her side.

Tyson did not like his odds at this point. Dealing with the other pests was one thing, but the Champion herself? When did she even get here? Last he checked, the city had been scoped out and there was no sign of her, so what gives?

"Stay out of this Diantha! You have no right to meddle in the affairs of Team Flare, we will have you destroyed," Tyson raged.

Diantha's eyes narrowed at this statement. She simply looked over at the recovering Mega Houndoom, and without so much as a word, ordered Mega Gardevoir to blast the hell hound through a wall, which is exactly what occured. Tyson was then psychically lifted into the air and slammed onto the ground unconscious. Normally, Diantha wasn't violent, but she would not tolerate someone threatening the life of a precious child or anyone else for that matter.

The little girl opened her eyes as the battle finished up and looked up to see Diantha, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"There, there little one...it's okay now. The bad man won't hurt you anymore," Diantha cooed, picking up the little girl who hugged her tightly.

A small smile placed itself on Diantha's features as she walked alongside Gardevoir who would keep her safe as the two searched out more problems in the city.

Looker and Claudia were being pursued by a few grunts and one Admin with a Mightyena on their trail. Looker turned to see the Mightyena lunge at Claudia and jumped in front of her to take the oncoming crunch. He closed his eyes, expecting to be bitten but nothing happened. It was being held up by psychic energy, but how? Mightyena was immune. And then Victor came walking out with Alakazam having used Miracle Eye on Mightyena to eliminate the dark dog's immunity to psychic attacks.

"Focus blast..." Victor commanded.

Alakazam complied and sent a powerful focus blast hurtling towards Mightyena, causing an explosion that sent the Team Flare members flying out of the alley. Salamence walked up beside Victor and stood behind him.

"Am I ever glad to see you, Victor was it?" Looker said with a smirk.

"Yep, good to see you're still alive Looker. Claudia, it's good to see you're still here as well...I had a sneaking suspicion that you might be targeted at some point in this raid so I came to find you. Luckily I could see you when I was flying on Salamence...but...what were you doing at the boutique?" Victor inquired.

"I was shopping when we were attacked...I wanted to get Looker another detective coat to match the one he already has. Perhaps a hat as well. Anyway, we hid away in the store until Team Flare ran by...and well, we weren't quiet enough to not be spotted..." Claudia mumbled.

"I see...well, we'd best get you out of here. And I need to catch up with Tadashi, Clarice and Trinity...I spotted the girls but Tadashi's a different story. He took off towards Prisim Tower about an hour ago and I haven't seen him since. After scouting the area I saw a bunch of grunts knocked out so I assume he was there...it seems to be his calling card now..." Victor muttered.

Somewhere on the other side of the city, a sneeze could be heard. Tadashi rubbed his nose and quirked a brow.

"Allergies?" Clemont inquired, tilting his head curiously.

"No...I don't have any...not that I know of anyway...strange," Tadashi mumbled.

"Well, let's keep going, we need to drive Team Flare out of the city so we're going to need to pick up the pace a little. Gogoat, let's go!" Tadashi called out, sending forth Gogoat.

"Where did you get that?" Clemont asked curiously as Tadashi mounted Gogoat.

"I should ask the same about your Luxray, but that doesn't matter right now...let's go," Tadashi stated.

"Right...we need to move," Clemont said, getting on board Luxray, Bonnie hopping on as well before they took off through the city.

The fire was being put out slowly but surely as firefighters arrived on the scene. They all had either a Squirtle or their evolved forms. Some of them even fended off a few grunts that tried to keep them from their duty. Just because they were firefighting pokemon and were specifically trained for that purpose, didn't mean they didn't know how to fight.

Team Flare were beginning to dwindle in numbers and were being forced to retreat as they were no match for the might of Kalos. The Gym Leaders and of course, Diantha. The effects of the Team Flare attack had been catastrophic. Buildings were burned, cars exploded in the streets and any trees on the medians were uprooted and flung due to the battles that went on. The once peaceful metropolis had been turned into a warzone. Team Flare still didn't give up and pressed the assault in spite of not being able to bring down the Gym Leaders.

"You wanna know what the difference between you scum and us Gym Leaders is?" Valerie said as she stepped forward, her usual cheery mood replaced with an irritated and unamused one. The grunt before her had a Mienshao that had been forcefully evolved.

"We spent our lives caring for our Pokemon and rigorously instructed them with love and discipline as well. We formed a bond with them which can never be broken. The training we had to go through to achieve our status was nothing short of grueling. But we all had the same testing. We all grew because we loved our Pokemon. You on the other hand think you can just do as you please, treating your own Pokemon like slaves! You people disgust me!" Valerie growled.

She took another step forward, the grunt backing up at this point. Her Sylveon growled at the grunt's Mienshao and without so much as a thought, considering she knew what her friend would ask of her, fired off a dazzling gleam that blasted the grunt and the Mienshao fifteen feet away.

Valerie huffed and walked off with Sylveon in tow, leaving a trail of unconscious Team Flare members in her wake. They had all passed out from the sudden dazzling gleam attack.

Back at the lab, Xerosic was working feverishly, trying to find a way to absorb the energy from the source faster. The energy meter was filled up over half way, going slowly at 85 percent currently. Celosia walked inside, shaking her head and muttering to herself.

"What's got you all flustered?" Xerosic inquired, scanning through some files on his computer while Celosia went to work on another project.

"Our plans to eliminate everyone in Lumiose City are going down the drain. Then again...I expected as much considering we all know who is still scurrying around in there..." Celosia grimaced.

"Ah, yes...the Tadashi boy...and from what I understand, Trinity? Her betrayal shall not go unpunished, rest assured..." Xerosic grinned.

"I suppose you suspected this would happen?" Celosia said with a raised brow.

"Of course...she outlived her usefulness to us anyway. The plan was to keep the trouble imprisoned long enough to gather as much energy as possible for the Ultimate Weapon. It won't be much longer now until we are able to lay waste to this world," Xerosic grinned.

"You're right...it's a pity. I actually liked her. She was one of the few I could stand. So, what are you going to do about her sister?" Celosia inquired.

"The girl is dying anyway, there's nothing I can do...well there is, but I'm not going to. Never was in the first place," Xerosic laughed.

"You truly are an evil man..." Celosia nodded, continuing to work on her project.

It took several hours, but the battle in Lumiose finally came to a close but at great cost. The city damage was beyond belief. Shops were destroyed, the lab was ruined, and about the only thing that remained in tact other than the Pokemon Centers that were heavily defended, was the Prism Tower. Looker stared around at the destruction around him. Tadashi had finally met up with the others in front of the destroyed lab. Clarice immediately clung to his arm once she saw him. The firefighters managed to control the flames, but it was going to take forever to restore everything back to the way it was before. All of the Gym Leaders found their way through the city after helping many critically wounded into the Pokemon Centers.

Diantha came by the group, still holding the girl who now fell asleep in her arms. Looker spotted Diantha and raised a brow at the little girl in her arms who carried a Buneary.

"Do I need to ask?" Looker inquired, getting a giggle from Diantha.

"She was in some trouble, so I took care of her attacker. Some bald man in a white suit with a Mega Houndoom was giving her a hard time. I'm certain you can guess what happened from there..." Diantha smirked.

"I don't want to envision it...I assume you intend to find this little girl's mother?" Looker inquired.

"Of course, once she wakes up..." Diantha laughed.

"Good...now...you lot," Looker turned towards Tadashi and his friends.

"Clemont, thank you for your information about where Team Flare is located now. I must say that I never would have expected it to be there. I know this will be a bit much for me to ask of you all...but now that we know their whereabouts, we need to shut them down at once. Rest your Pokemon, and yourselves because we're going to launch a counter attack..." Looker said with authority.

"I think it would be best if some of us stayed and helped with the cleanup. This place is in shambles and it will take weeks, maybe months to repair. And there are still some wounded lying around. The city needs all the help it can get now. We probably should decide on who's going to the base and who's staying here..." Viola stated, her sister nodding in agreement.

"We'll storm the base..." Victor said, standing beside Tadashi and Clarice, Trinity nodding as she walked up beside him.

"Just the four of you? Do you know how many you're up against?" Looker said nervously.

"Apparently you're forgetting that we defeated most of the leaders standing here with us...and we have been to hell and back again after that imprisonment fiasco. I doubt a little trip to their main base of operations is going to be enough to shake us..." Clarice muttered.

"Snappy as usual...but I can get used to it," Tadashi sighed.

"You'd better..." Clarice grumbled, having half a mind to knee him in the gonads, but she figured that could wait.

Looker glanced around at the squad of teenagers. Jake, Blake and Madeline were even standing beside them.

"We're coming too. There's no way we're going to let you four do this without us. We wanna help too, and besides..." Blake said, pointing to Tadashi.

"You owe me a rematch!" Blake blurted out.

"Still on about that huh? Alright, we'll do that after this is all said and done..." Tadashi said with a smirk.

"Don't forget about our little match Tadashi..." Trinity smirked.

"That's right...I haven't had the pleasure of fighting you yet. It's the least I can do for you since you got us out of a sticky situation..." Tadashi grinned.

"I'm still not sure about this..." Looker sighed, getting an odd glance from Diantha.

"After witnessing their bond first hand, I can say that there can be no one better to send than these seven. On the outside, they may look like kids...but inside, it's a completely different story. The strength they have together can't be shaken easily..." Diantha said with a smile.

"I suppose that settles it then...Tadashi! You seven will storm Team Flare's base. Now that we know where it is, we need you to get there as fast as possible..." Looker paused as his holo caster began to beep.

An image of Lysandre appeared on everyone's holo caster, and he didn't seem too thrilled to say the least.

"It would appear that I took you all too lightly. I hadn't anticipated the arrival of the Gym Leaders from all over Kalos. You have spared your city, although it lies in shambles. However, you have not saved yourselves. As you can see behind me...the Ultimate Weapon is in full bloom and nearly at 100 percent power. Once it reaches maximum power, I will wipe you all from the face of the planet!" Lysandre said as the transmission winked out.

_**The city has been defended! Yay! Also, on a side note, the 'dairy cow' comment that Shinji made, and the image of a Miltank mooing was in reference to another anime called History's Strongest (or Greatest) Disciple Kenichi when Miu Furinji gets called a 'dairy cow' by Kisara Nanjo. Anyone who knows about that anime will get the reference, though I think I made it pretty obvious as to its meaning. Whoops. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed that chapter as it's on to the next one, which will come out soon**_!


	39. Chapter 39

**And it's now time for another exciting chapter! Welcome back everyone. Things are getting rather intense aren't they? I hope the last chapter was pleasing. It was fun to write and focused more or less on the other main characters in the plot. So the Gym Leaders are going to be sticking around to clean up the mess in Lumiose. It's gonna be rough from here on out for our heroes. Well, that being said, let's dive right in! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 39: Storming the Fort, Part 1**

Tadashi and his friends were waiting for their Pokemon to be healed after the long battle they'd all gone through. Victor looked deep in thought. Something seemed to be troubling him.

"Guys...a thought just occurred to me. And it's about the power source that they're using. I have a bad feeling about it..." Victor said, sweat dripping down one side of his face as he spoke.

"What do you mean? Aren't they using some sort of generator? That's about the only thing I can think of...why else would they be sapping power from the power plant?" Clarice inquired.

"That seems too obvious...part of me thinks that it's only half of what they were using...if not only a fraction. There is no way the plant had nearly enough energy to generate the power needed to activate something that deadly...there must be something else..." Victor frowned.

"You'd be right..." Trinity chimed in, getting everyone's attention.

"What do you know about it? I know you were 'in the know' at some point about all of this. Tell us...what else is powering that thing?" Victor inquired.

Trinity hesitated. She wasn't sure if they would be able to handle what she was going to tell them. It was complicated at first, even for her. At the same time, it's what gave her the hope she had before. A sigh left her lips as she looked down.

"Xerneas..." Trinity sighed.

"Come again?" Victor inquired, not quite understanding what she'd said.

"You heard me...Xerneas...don't you know about the Legendaries in this region?" Trinity sighed, shaking her head.

"Xerneas, otherwise known as the Life Pokemon...is able to give life to whomever it pleases. In otherwords, immortality if it sees fit. When it reaches the end of its life, it just goes back into a sort of cocoon...or in this case, a tree, but only after it disperses life energy to everything living. It restores its energy and then re-emerges years later as if it never died. It's counterpart Yveltal does the same, save for it wipes out everything in existence...Xerneas counteracts it though..." Trinity continued.

Tadashi's eyes went wide as he listened to the explanation. He began to put it together in his head which didn't make him feel any better about the situation.

"So...they're using the one who can restore life...to take it? I knew they were cruel...but that is just insane..." Tadashi muttered, clenching his fists tightly.

"I know...but it's how they operate. And I fell right into their hands. I was told that they could use some of Xerneas' energy to restore my sister to health. They lied to me, and I bought it. I was so wrapped up in saving her that I committed unforgivable crimes. I put all of you in a prison and worst yet...I hurt some of you..." Trinity said with her voice trembling a bit.

"I'm a lousy friend...and would have been better off dead at your feet Tadashi..." Trinity said as she fought back the urge to cry.

From out of nowhere, Clarice delivered a harsh slap to her face which knocked her back to her senses.

"Shut. Up. I won't have you talking like that. If anyone deserved to kill you it was me. But you know what? Since you worked so hard to show us that you are making a turn around, I can't stand sitting here watching someone wallow in their own sorrow like I did. Now, either lose that depressed attitude or I will smack you around until I see fit to stop..." Clarice snarled.

Trinity didn't know what to say at this point. She felt her face stinging, and reached up to touch it. She winced a bit before turning back to Clarice. She was right. She was doing exactly what Clarice had done. Albeit she didn't know the details...not that she wanted to anyway. A sigh escaped her lips as she shook her head.

"You're right...sorry Clarice. I shouldn't be letting what I did get ahold of me now. Not when the situation is this dire. We need to be getting back to the fight. There are people counting on us and we aren't going to be much help if we sit around feeling sorry for ourselves. So, wanna go knock some heads?" Trinity inquired with a smirk.

"That's better," Clarice grinned, standing up and glancing over at Tadashi.

At that time, the door to the back room opened and a nurse came out with everyone's pokeballs. Jake, Blake and Madeline had gone to grab their things from the room they'd been in and handed their keys to the nurse and picked up their teams. Tadashi and the others grabbed their pokeballs and clipped them to their belts. Tadashi tightened his gloves and stood up, waiting for the others to follow.

"We only get one shot at this...you guys know that right?" Tadashi said as he turned around.

"Yep...if we miss it's game over...er...the world pretty much goes up in smoke..." Victor said with a nervous expression.

"Right...so there's no room for screw ups. I'm gonna be honest with you guys. I wasn't anticipating going on an adventure and running into a group of villains bent on destroying everything. I thought it would be a peaceful time, with new friends and sure...some challenges..." Tadashi stated, looking pointedly at Victor and Clarice.

"But...not this. Honestly? This is just plain nuts...but we have to do this. I don't know if it was planned this way...or if Arceus just closed his eyes and spun the wheel of fate and it landed on us...that would be a cruel joke...but none of that matters now. So let's-"

"Enough with the rousing speech Tadashi...we get it. If we mess up, the world ends, let's just get going already, we're wasting time!" Clarice grumbled.

"Party pooper..." Tadashi muttered, walking out the door with the others in tow.

"Let's see...we need a fast way to get to Geosenge. We need to get there without being detected. If we take to the air we'll be spotted before we get there. They no doubt have connections to a satellite by now...considering they were able to globaly transmit the holo caster message. Wait...Victor? Does your Alakazam still have teleport in his move pool?" Tadashi inquired.

"I think so...I don't remember him ever wanting to get rid of it. I mean seriously...who wouldn't want to keep it?" Victor shrugged.

"Does he have enough energy to teleport us from here to Geosenge? Because that would be lovely..." Tadashi said with a smirk.

"It just so happens that he can...he's trained himself well enough to manage a one way. Good thing too...because not all of us have flying types to get over there fast enough. I mean sure...you've got Charizard and I have Salamence...but Clarice doesn't really have anything...Beedrill can't carry her...and Trinity doesn't have any flying types that I know of..." Victor chuckled.

"It's settled then...we're teleporting. Everyone, link up..." Tadashi said as the group came together, linking arms.

Victor called out his Alakazam and...

"Well, that didn't take long..." Clarice said as she looked around at the familiar setting of the Pokemon Center in Geosenge.

"And that DEFINITELY wasn't there before!" Victor called out as he pointed out the window.

There, in the very center of Geosenge was a GIGANTIC flower shaped machine that was towering above the cabins. Some were tipped over and several boulders were dislodged from the ground.

"That...must be it..." Tadashi said as he stared at the beauty that was the Ultimate Weapon.

"I never would have imagined it to be like this...something so beautiful, yet deadly...it's utterly horrifying..." Trinity said with a shaky voice.

"We don't have time to marvel at it you guys...we need to get going, now!" Clarice shouted.

"Uh...did any of you notice something strange about this center? There's nobody here..." Tadashi pointed out.

"The nurse must have left as that thing started to appear...but a nurse would never abandon her patients...much less the center itself...something doesn't feel right..." Madeline commented.

"I agree...take a look at this..." Victor said as he pointed at his feet.

"They're scuff marks from shoes...that means there was a struggle here. And I have a hunch that we'll find out once we exit this center..." Victor said as he went to the door.

"So...shall we?" Victor said as he opened the door.

The group all nodded and stepped outside. Jake and Blake stood alongside Madeline and walked out with her behind everyone else. What they saw next alarmed them almost as much as the sight of the Ultimate Weapon. There was a ton of energy being pumped into the Ultimate Weapon and it was coming from the entrance to Geosenge. Team Flare grunts seemed to be guarding the entrance of the town. But why? Whatever the reason, the Ultimate Weapon was gaining more power by the second and they couldn't afford to be standing around.

"Great...now they're feeding more energy to it...at this rate we won't be able to stop it in time.

"The energy is coming from Pokemon..." Trinity said abruptly.

"What?" Victor replied, wondering what she meant by that.

"Those stones that you all encountered on the way here...there is an immense amount of energy in them and when Pokemon are subdued to them...their energy is drained right into the Ultimate Weapon. We have to stop that from continuing any further..." Trinity retorted.

"We'll do it!" Jake volunteered.

The group turned to look at Jake and the others who seemed determined to take the task at hand.

"Are you sure?" Tadashi inquired, worried for them.

"Hey..." Jake said as he opened his jacket to reveal six badges.

"I have as many badges as you guys do...so does Blake. And Madeline is tough as well. Now that all three of us are together...we can take them down!" Jake said with a determined expression.

Tadashi smiled softly at his friend and then nodded. He understood now how far they all had come. He would have to wait to say anything more, time was of the essence.

"Alright, you three handle the situation over there, Trinity, Clarice, Victor and I will go into the main lab and shut this operation down. We're counting on you three..." Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"We won't let you down, now...let's move!" Madeline said as the trio darted off towards the route, their strongest Pokemon at their side.

Tadashi and the others simply exchanged looks before darting off towards where Trinity was leading them. Of course, they met some guards along the way. However, their typical Houndoom and Mightyena combo was quickly thrashed aside by an oncoming aura sphere/gyro ball combo.

Returning their Pokemon to their balls, the gang kept moving. The entrance to the place was nowhere to be seen. However, since Trinity was the one who knew where to look, it was found with relative ease and they all slipped inside. It was an elevator which meant only one thing...everything was underground. Well...at least now there was no excuse for them not to hold back, since nothing on the surface could get destroyed.

The elevator took a while to reach the bottom floor and of course it had a camera in it. Trinity knew this and decided to have a little fun and flipped the bird at the camera.

"Now that's just rude..." Celosia said as she looked at the security camera in the elevator.

"What? I had some bean burritos with chalula sauce...what do you want?" Xerosic commented.

"I...didn't need to know that, and that's not what I mean Xerosic...they're here...and sooner than we thought," Celosia muttered.

"What?! But how? They were in Lumiose about an hour ago! There's no way they could have traveled at least a days worth of walking and about an hours worth of flying...in such a short time!" Xeriosic said angrily.

"Well, it doesn't matter now..." Celosia grimaced.

At that point, a resounding explosion shook the lab as the doors to the elevator opened to a rampaging Charizard shooting flames at some of the equipment. Tadashi smirked as it looked like Charizard had a lot of steam to let off. Clarice had her Steelix out, because...why not?

"Great...and the Charizard is with him...and is that a Steelix?!" Celosia said nervously.

"Celosia, Xerosic! We have intruders!" A grunt called out as he burst through the lab doors.

"We know already...now get your forces together and stop them! We can't have them interfering!" Celosia ordered.

"Should we go too?" Bryony and Aliana inquired.

"At this point I think it's going to take everyone we have, those four are powerful trainers. It would be pretty stupid of us not to take enough force to bring them down. We may have numbers...but they have raw power..." Celosia said with a grimace.

"Indeed...it would be rather detramental to us if we faced them with minimal numbers. Xerosic, you stay here to monitor the progress of the situation...I think I will go and greet them myself..." Lysandre said as he stood up to exit.

"About time he did something..." Celosia muttered.

Tadashi looked around at the assembly of grunts and Admins before him. There were a least a few dozen opposing the group and normally, those weren't good odds. But then again, this wasn't an average group of trainers after all. Tadashi called out his team and the others did the same. Tyrunt looked especially overjoyed at the concept of being able to fight again. He was so fired up in fact that he began to stamp his feet wildly.

"I know...it's been a while since you've had a little action, hasn't it?" Tadashi chuckled, getting an affirmative nod from Tyrunt.

As he turned to face his opponent, a blast of fire scorched his face from an enemy Houndoom, causing him to throw a massive fit. He thrashed about angrily like a spoiled child who didn't get their way and then...it got bright. Tyrunt at that point, grew several times its normal size, easily towering above the group. The nearly ten foot tall dino-dragon roared angrily at its attacker and flared its nostrils.

"About time he evolved...I was wondering if it was going to any time soon. I've had Aurorus for over a week now..." Clarice chuckled.

"I knew he would...and had I know all it took was a blast to the face I would have done that ages ago..." Tadashi grimaced.

Tyrantrum snarled disapprovingly at the remark but nonetheless, kept his focus on the enemy.

"Well...let's get this show on the road then!" Tadashi said as everyone surged forwards.

The cameras in the main base continued to survey the battle, and if one looked closely, one could almost see a sweat drop forming on the other side.

"And he now has a Tyrantrum...great, first a steel snake that shouldn't even be able to fit in here...now we have a raging dino-dragon to deal with along with that Charizard...AND STEELIX JUST GOT BIGGER! Seriously...defying all logic here?" Celosia said, facepalming herself a few times as the camera was shorted out.

"It looks like we have a pretty big problem huh?" Xerosic chortled.

"I should smack you for that..." Celosia growled.

Xerosic simply shook his head and muttered something under his breath before turning back to his work.

Outside of the main base, Jake and the other two were facing their own battle. Never once did Jake think he'd be battling a criminal organization to decide the fate of the world. It was scary and at the same time it was a thrill.

His Talonflame dodged an oncoming dark pulse from a Houndoom and then bore into it with acrobatics. The power of the move was doubled considering Talonflame had no item on it. Also, after a few swords dance setups, there wasn't much that the Houndoom could do at that point. It flopped over as Talonflame finished it off.

Madeline's Milotic, one she had recently acquired via trade, wreaked havoc on another Houndoom, blasting it away with a hydro pump. The trio was doing incredibly well now that they were used to the more pressing situations like the one's they'd run into before.

Blake's prized Dodrio simply zipped around his opponent, the Scrafty having absolutely no idea how to catch something as fast as Dodrio was. Before he knew it, Scrafty was drill pecked into the ground by all three heads. There were still more grunts to fight but so far, three of them went down fairly quickly. They all took off save for the ones who still had Pokemon to spare.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly so far. And then, he came. From one of the side entrances, Lysandre appeared with a Pyroar at his side. The group stopped in their tracks as Lysandre, along with Bryony, Mable and Aliana came out. Celosia stayed behind with Xerosic to oversee the weapon's progress.

"Not you three..." Tadashi murmured...shuddering as he remembered Bryony and Aliana from before.

"Miss us?" Aliana snickered, blowing Tadashi a kiss.

'That's it...she's dead...' Clarice thought with narrowed eyes.

Tadashi cringed and glanced up at Lysandre who seemed unamused. There was a terrible presence about this man. His eyes were cold and he seemed remarkably calm for some reason.

"Lysandre..." Trinity spoke first, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the man.

"Ah, Trinity...playing the part of the traitor once again are we?" Lysandre mused.

"I never wanted to be a part of your stupid organization anyway..." Trinity barked.

"I must admit...we didn't give you enough credit for your work with these three. You even managed to bring us a bonus...it's too bad you went rogue and joined them again...you could have been one of the many who would see the new more pure world that we would all share..." Lysandre said as he closed his eyes.

"Don't give me that! You knew Xerosic was using me from the start. Even you were against bringing me in here. You should have listened to your gut instinct because now...it's coming around to bite you..." Trinity retorted.

"Fools..." Lysandre spat.

"Do you really think I cared about all of that? What matters is that you were able to do your duty to us and because of that, we have you to thank for the power contribution to the Ultimate Weapon. Because of you...we were bought enough time to bring it into full bloom. Take a look at the monitor behind me..." Lysandre said with a stoic gaze.

"That is the power that has been collected so far..." Lysandre stated, pointing to what appeared to be a red meter of sorts, and there was a percentage at the end of it. It was at 92 percent power at this point which meant there wasn't much time until they were able to fire it.

"Do you see how hopeless it is now? You can't win, and you most certainly won't be able to defeat me. So, come at me if you dare..." Lysandre said boldly.

Bryony and the other two scientists smirked as they tossed out their Pokemon, ready for a brawl. Their mega rings lit up and the light show began. The Mega Evolutions were now out and clashing.

Tadashi stared down Lysandre whose Pyroar traded blows with his Lucario. And Lucario was having an extremely difficult time of it. Pyroar seemed to be capable of fluctuating the temperature of his mane in order to make it too hot for Lucario to approach without burning himself. Pyroar even managed to avoid the bone rush that lashed out at it. Lysandre's Pyroar was good.

Trinity wasn't having too much trouble with the Druddigon that Aliana possessed. Considering Abby knew play rough, this match was hers for the taking. The Pokemon shook the entire room with their power. Clarice's Mega Steelix demolishing part of the room with a single swing of his tail. So much for trying to keep the place in tact. Lysandre's Pyroar finally went down after switching out Lucario for Tyrantrum. However Lysandre pulled out a Gyarados and Mega Evolved it, washing away Tyrantrum after a dragon dance and an aqua tail. Tadashi couldn't seem to catch much of a break here.

He didn't really have anything that would be able to deal with Gyarados, much less a Mega Gyarados. There had to be a way around it. Gogoat wouldn't do him any good due to the flying subtype...but wait...there was something different about this form Gyarados had.

He had to think of something, but what? He made up his mind and launched out Gardevoir onto the battlefield.

'You called, Tadashi?' Garedvoir inquired, glancing at her enemy with a surprised expression.

'Yeah...big problem...that...' Tadashi stated, pointing to Mega Gyarados.

'Unfortunately...if you're going to ask me to use psychic...I can't do that. I can already feel it and I am sensing a dark sub-type coming from it...' Gardevoir communicated.

'So wait...it lost it's flying sub-typing? Which means...things just got either a whole lot easier or whole lot harder...' Tadashi thought as he glanced back at the tower of power that was Gyarados.

'Well, I'm up for a challenge...what are your orders?' Gardevoir inquired.

'Simple...moonblast!' Tadashi commanded.

Gardevoir began gathering the fairy energies within her hands before firing them straight at the Mega Gyarados.

"Hydro pump..." Lysandre ordered.

Mega Gyarados fired off a powerful hydro pump towards the moonblast and severed it, smashing into Gardevoir with incredible force.

'You okay?!' Tadashi inquired as Gardevoir struggled to stand.

'Ow...wow that was strong. I wasn't expecting to match him but that was just plain ridiculous...' Gardevoir groaned, slowly staggering to her feet.

'I can't risk you getting anymore hurt...come back...' Tadashi said as he returned Gardevoir to her ball.

"What now Tadashi? Three of your strongest have been defeated already...And you are down to your last three. How do you hope to best me if none of them have the capacity to match my power?" Lysandre inquired.

"Oh...we'll match it alright...Gogoat, you're up!"

_**And part one is done! They're in the main lab now and are already clashing with the best of Team Flare. Tadashi is having major issues with Lysandre and it's definitely not going to get any easier. Lysandre is buying time for the Ultimate Weapon of course and is doing a very fine job of it. Xerosic and Celosia work feverishly to try and speed up the energy input process. With the power at 92 percent, can Tadashi and his friends make it in time? Also, how will Jake and the others fare? Find out what happens next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	40. Chapter 40

**And here we go again! I'd like to pause for a bit to thank everyone who has been reading and reviewing once more! Like I said, this means quite a bit to me and I'm happy to see so many reading. With that in mind, how is it going? Like how it's coming together so far? Not much longer now is it? Aw, who am I kidding? It's far from finished yet. Two more gyms and the league and the aftermath and then...well...more stuffs! -Flails arms- Anyway, I hope you all are ready because here! We! Goooo!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 40: Storming the Fort, Part 2: The Aftermath**

"Gogoat, you're up!" Tadashi called out, sending one of the first Pokemon he'd caught onto the field.

"Let's see what that training of yours with Lucario did for you partner!" Tadashi said with a smirk.

Gogoat's horns began to glow green, showing that he understood what his trainer was telling him.

"Your Gogoat seems well trained...I can tell, but it will take more than mere type advantage to deal with Gyarados..." Lysandre muttered.

"We'll see about that..." Tadashi said firmly, glancing back at Gogoat who stomped the ground a few times with his right front hoof before lowering his head.

"Dragon dance..." Lysandre commanded.

Mega Gyarados began to power himself up, thrashing about as an draconic aura began to surround him.

"Bulldoze!" Tadashi called out, taking Lysandre by surprise.

'Did he know that Gyarados lost its flying typing?!' Lysandre thought, caught off guard by the sudden ground attack slamming into Gyarados at full force.

'Taking advantage of Gyarados while he was powering up...clever...' Lysandre thought as he watched Mega Gyarados rise back up from the assault.

"Aqua tail!" Lysandre demanded.

Gyarados, charged up from two dragon dances lashed out at Gogoat and slammed him with his tail, sending him flying along the floor, crashing into several computers and breaking apart desks. Gogoat struggled to get up after the heavy blow. Normally water attacks had very little effect, but due to the power boost...it wasn't able to handle the power behind it. Gogoat collapsed after giving it his best shot. However, his efforts wouldn't go to waste. Gyarados may have had his strength and speed boosted, but his speed took a dramatic cut after that bulldoze. Tadashi smirked as he returned Gogoat.

"Thanks partner...you did great. Now let your friends take it from here..." Tadashi said as he picked up Charizards pokeball.

"Alright partner...let's do it!" Tadashi exclaimed, releasing Charizard from the ball.

The great lizard roared powerfully as he burst onto the scene, spouting flames in his usual cocky manner before glaring at his opponent.

"Are you mocking me Tadashi? A fire type? Albeit a flying sub-type...but a fire type nonetheless? You must be in a hurry to die..." Lysandre sneered.

"Actually...you really shouldn't underestimate Charizard. He hates that really..." Tadashi mumbled as he pulled back the strap on his key stone and held it high.

"And so do I..." Tadashi said as he activated the key stone, causing Charizard to glow with draconic energy as he began to Mega Evolve. In a burst of blue flames, Mega Charizard was back, and it was time to throw down. He was about to sharpen his claws on a sea dragon.

Lysandre stared at Charizard in a brief moment of astonishment. The flames were still an indication that it was a fire type still, but the new coloration and over all aura signified a change in typing as well. Given the information he was told...it held a dragon typing now.

"Although the change is considerably better, the fact still remains that it's a fire type still and it will go down in the face of my superior beast!" Lysandre declared.

"Keep talking...you'll regret it later..." Tadashi spat.

"Gyarados, hydro pump!" Lysandre ordered.

Gyarados roared loudly and gathered several tons of water in his mouth before firing it towards Charizard.

"Avoid it and close in with dragon claw!" Tadashi ordered.

Charizard barely missed getting pummeled by the blast of water and rocketed towards the large sea dragon, its claws outstretched and ready to tear the enemy apart.

"Aqua tail.." Lysandre called out.

Gyarados waited until Charizard was close enough and used his increased speed to deliver one heck of a blow to the oncoming dragon who flew across the room, crashing into a support which toppled over on top of the beast. Charizard roared angrily and struggled to push the support off of him. He snarled at Gyarados and flared his nostrils.

"See...it's futile to face me boy. You might as well surrender...you haven't much time left anyway..." Lysandre said as he indicated to the percentage behind him on the meter. It was at 95 percent now.

'Charizard is hurt badly...and he's basically my last line of defense. I can't use Braixen...I could never forgive myself if something happened to her. And Gardevoir...she's badly hurt. What the heck am I going to do?' Tadashi thought as he stared down the intimidating Gyarados before him.

"Tadashi, don't you dare give up!" Clarice called out to him as she was battling against Mable who seemed to have improved quite a bit and had a different team of Pokemon, including a Machamp, which was giving Clarice a bit of trouble.

'But what can I do? That Gyarados is ridiculous...Charizard may be strong but against that kind of speed and power...what can I-" And then it hit him.

"Charizard, return!" Tadashi ordered, bringing his friend back into his ball.

"Finally deciding to surrender?" Lysandre inquired.

"Tadashi, don't you dare!" Trinity called out, trying to juggle her own battle with Aliana while watching his.

"Far from it..." Tadashi said with a grin as he tossed out Gardevoir's pokeball.

Gardevoir appeared on the field, looking a little more refreshed than it was previously, but still a little beat up.

'Sorry to do this to you Gardevoir...but I need your help...' Tadashi sighed.

'It's alright...I know why you're doing it. You couldn't bare to see your first friend hurt...By summoning me again, I assume you have a plan?' Gardevoir inquired.

'Yes...and hopefully it works...there's no way we can keep up with that speed...but speed doesn't mean jack without accuracy...' Tadashi grinned.

"Are you going to stand there and do nothing all day Tadashi? Or would you rather I just eliminate you now?" Lysandre said impatiently.

"Sorry, but the only one who will be eliminated today...is you..." Tadashi said coldly.

"Persistent little pest aren't you? Fine. If I have to blot you from existence to prove my point then so be it...Gyarados, hyper beam!" Lysandre ordered.

"Gardevoir, double team!" Tadashi called out. The hyper beam went straight through the double team and headed for Tadashi.

Tadashi's eyes widened as he realized that the beam was intended for him. At that moment, something pushed him out of the way and an explosion rang out. When he turned back to see what happened, he saw Trinity on the ground in a crater.

Tadashi's eyes went wide. She couldn't be...no...there was no way she was. He scrambled over to his friend and searched for a pulse. Nothing. Everyone turned and looked on in horror as they saw Tadashi's expression. Tadashi whirled around and glared daggers into Lysandre's very soul.

"You...animal..." Tadashi said as tears streaked down his visage.

"She was our friend you genocidal psychopath!" Tadashi roared, his voice distorting from rage.

'This can't be good...' Gardevoir thought as she felt a huge aura spike from Tadasahi which signaled he was going to do something drastic.

"Who she was is of little consequence to me. She betrayed our trust and yours. How can you call her a friend? It's that kind of selfishness that I seek to purge from this world, and that is exactly what I plan to do!" Lysandre roared.

"Shut up..." Tadashi said coldly.

"Gardevoir...moonblast..." Tadashi ordered. Since Mega Gyarados had no way of countering it, and his evasion wasn't exactly on par, it took a full force moonblast to the face, knocking it back into the wall.

"Again..." Tadashi ordered. Gardevoir fired a volley of moonblasts at Mega Gyarados, knocking him out completely.

'Unbelievable...what does he seek to gain from this? Why is he so concerned about this world? It's a selfish cruel world, why is he trying to preserve it?' Lysandre thought as he reached for his next pokeball.

Tadashi was quicker. Before Lysandre knew what hit him, his world went dark and he bent over after being slammed in the chest with a force palm, his ribs all but shattering at this point as he fell unconscious.

"I should kill you for what you just did...but that would make me no better than you..." Tadashi hissed, struggling to keep his anger at bay. He wanted to rip Lysandre apart.

"She was so close...so close to helping her sister. And you took that from her!" Tadashi snarled.

The battle in the room had come to an abrupt halt, mostly due to the fact that Lysandre had been taken out. Bryony, Mable and Aliana looked horrified. Their Pokemon were exhausted and they decided to make a hasty retreat. But before they got anywhere, their worlds went dark as well after being knocked out by a psychic attack.

Clarice fell to her knees beside Trinity's limp body. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she reached out and rolled her over.

"This isn't fair...why'd you have to go and do that? You're an even bigger idiot than Tadashi!" Clarice cried.

Victor gritted his teeth in anger as he looked down at Trinity. He didnt' fault Tadashi for what he'd just done to Lysandre. If it were him, he would have done the same.

"Victor...carry her..." Tadashi muttered.

"Why? She's going to slow us down, we have to stop that thing!" Victor reasoned.

"We can't leave her there...I can already feel where we need to go. There's a faint aura signal coming from this pathway. It's losing energy fast...but it's there still. It must be the power source...if we can get to that...we can shut this thing down..." Tadashi said firmly.

"If you say so..." Victor said as he slowly picked up Trinity's body and hoisted it onto his back.

'I don't know why you have me doing this Tadashi...carrying around literal dead weight won't do any good...' Victor thought as the team raced on.

Tadashi popped a full restore on Gardevoir as she was very much needed to get them quickly to the power source.

After a while, the group reached what appeared to be a large steel door. There were bodies of Team Flare members strewn across the floor due to Gardevoir knocking them out because Tadashi had little patience to deal with them. Tadashi wasted no time blasting the door apart with a focus punch. Due to him experiencing such a rush of anger, his aura attacks were more potent.

Waiting on the other side of the doors was none other than Xerosic and it looked as though he had a hostage. It was a little girl who looked similar to Trinity in a way. She was in a hospital gown and was being held at in a psychic hold by a Malamar.

"I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you all to make it past Lysandre. But as you can see, I have thoroughly prepared myself for just such an occasion. I must thank you Tadashi for saving me the trouble of killing Trinity myself. And as for Lysandre, showing mercy is going to cost you one day boy..." Xerosic grinned.

"Put. Tiana. Down..." Tadashi growled.

"Ah, ah, ah...don't come any closer. Right now she's barely clinging to life but is still unconscious. The power of the attack will grow stronger the closer you get so unless you don't want to see her brains splatter onto the floor I suggest you stay back and put your Pokemon away..." Xerosic ordered.

Tadashi was trembling with rage at this point. Victor and Clarice did as instructed and put their Pokemon away, however Gardevoir remained out as she sensed something was a little off about this room.

Tadashi's aura was reaching a critical stage at this point and something was reacting to it. Gardevoir searched the room with her psychic senses trying to find the source. Then...it suddenly dawned on her. What was a tree doing hooked up to a machine. And what was this strange power she felt coming from it.

At that moment, the room began to shake, causing Malamar to lose balance and drop Tiana. Gardevoir wasted no time in using a psychic on the girl before she hit the floor. She brought her safely into the waiting arms of Tadashi who held onto her. Gardevoir staggered a bit after the room shook and looked over at Malamar, wasting no time firing a moonblast at him. Given his dark typing coupled with psychic, fairy type moves would have a devastating effect on him, and it did. Malamar was rendered usless.

Xerosic backed up a bit as his plan had gone down the drain it seemed. Or did it? A grin appeared on his visage as he held out a remote.

"Do you see this remote? The meter is at 97 percent and do you know what that means? You all are doomed! Once I press this button, I can activate the power of the Ultimate Weapon and wipe everyone out! Your families! Your friends! They will all be caught in the fires of the flames of revolution!" Xerosic cackled.

"Any last words?" Xerosic grinned, loving his moment of power.

As the words left his lips, the room shook again, causing him to drop the remote. This was a more violent shake than last time. Suddenly, the tree behind him began to glow brightly and the wires attatched to it did the same. The power on the meter began to go down rapidly, 95 percent, 82 percent, 65 percent, 40 percent, 25 percent! It was losing power which baffled Xerosic.

"How can this be?! It wasn't supposed to awaken for another year!" Xerosic said as he whirled around to see what was happening. The tree began to glow with a powerful aura and the meter was soon reduced to a mere five percent, which was all the energy gathered from the pokemon that were outside and the power plant.

In place of the tree, stood a gigantic stag-like Pokemon. It was blue and black in color and had antlers with eight horns protruding from them. It was a magnificent sight to see to say the least. Power erupted from the Legendary as it stepped off of the platform that it awakened on. Xerosic scurried away from the Legendary only to be caught by Tadashi's Gardevoir who promptly knocked him out via psychic.

"I don't believe what I'm seeing...so this is Xerneas...it's beautiful..." Clarice said as she looked up at the majestic stag. Xerneas, unlike Yveltal, was rather calm and gentle. Considering it was known as the Life Pokemon, it could be said that it would never purposely harm anyone.

"Well...now what?" Tadashi sighed, looking over at the remote that controlled the Ultimate Weapon.

Tadashi walked over to it and smashed it under his foot, making sure that nobody would be able to use it.

"So you've managed to awaken Xerneas...how marvelous..." Lysandre said as he stood in the doorway, barely on his own two feet as he was supported by Celosia.

"Stand down Lysandre...it's over. Just accept it..." Victor said as he turned towards Lysandre with a glare.

"That's what you think...there is still a fraction of the energy needed to fire the Ultimate Weapon. I will not be denied my right to rid this world of those who taint it!" Lysandre said as he took out a second remote.

"Lysandre, don't do this!" Tadashi protested.

"Tadashi, Victor, Clarice! Witness the power of the Ultimate Weapon and perish!" Lysandre said as he hit the switch to fire the weapon.

The remaining power that was left in the machine shot into the Ultimate Weapon and gave it just enough juice to charge up. Soon a powerful blast was emitted into the atmosphere and was coming down at at an accelerated rate.

"We need to get out of here!" Tadashi shouted.

"On it!" Victor said as he threw Alakazam out. Without so much as thinking, Alakazam sensed the danger and linked everyone up psychically and teleported them out. The blast came down hard on top of Geosenge, obliterating nearly everything in its wake. It damaged the Pokemon Center heavily as the blast had only covered a good portion of the town.

The gang appeared on the outside of the town, and looked back at the devastation. The Ultimate Weapon was nowhere to be seen as it had lost power and was blasted underground. Tadashi fell to his knees as he held Tiana in his arms.

"It's...it's over..." Tadashi cried, looking down at the nearly lifeless body of Tiana. She wasn't in the hospital bed anymore which meant she wasn't getting the treatment that kept her going.

Victor slowly lowered Trinity's body to the ground and slammed his fists into the dirt.

"Why...why'd she have to do that?" Victor said, his shoulders trembling.

"I think I know why..." Tadashi said as he laid Tiana down on the ground beside her sister.

"It was because she valued our friendship...this was her atonement for betraying us. This was her way of saying...I'm sorry..." Tadashi said as tears trickled down his visage.

"But...she didn't have to do that...you could have gotten out of the way..." Clarice sobbed.

"Not at that close a range...even if I managed to block it...there's no guarantee I would still be in one piece..." Tadashi sighed, looking down at Tiana and Trinity.

"She wanted to help me...us...and something tells me she did this with you in mind Clarice..." Tadashi sighed.

'Tadashi...hate to break up the sentimental moment...but...look behind you...' Gardevoir's voice echoed into his mind, causing him to turn around.

Startled by the sight of Xerneas, he fell backwards, landing on his rear.

'Ow...coulda warned me ahead of time...' Tadashi grumbled.

'You are a very curious human...' A new voice entered Tadashi's mind.

'I must be dreaming...there's no way a Legendary is talking to me...' Tadashi replied, looking into the eyes of Xerneas as it nodded.

'I don't know why...but when you were near me...I felt your aura and I felt drawn to meet you. Somehow, your aura reacted to mine and well...as you can see I'm no longer sleeping...' Xerneas said as it looked around at the group.

'I assume you all to be his friends?' Xerneas inquired of the group, causing them all to hear him.

The group was too stunned to respond.

"Hey guys! Guess what? We just defe-whoa!" Jake said as he staggered back from Xerneas who was now looking at him.

'More of your friends I presume?' Xerneas inquired.

'Yeah...that's right...' Tadashi stated, his voice trembling even through telepathy. His body was visibly shaking. He was excited and overwhelmed at the amount of power he was feeling right then.

'All of you are curious...your natures seem rather different than most humans I've seen in years long past. It's so strange how things work...' Xerneas spoke again.

Jake and the others slapped themselves back to reality and shook their heads as they looked up at Xerneas.

"Tadashi...is that?" Madeline inquired.

"Yes...this is Xerneas..." Tadashi replied.

'Tadashi...so that's your name? I can see your mother knew well what she was doing when she gave you that name. Do you know what it means Tadashi?' Xerneas questioned.

'No...I was never told its meaning...why?' Tadashi replied.

'It means 'loyal' or 'true' meaning you are very loyal to your friends and you never shy from who you are. It's a name fit for someone such as yourself...' Xerneas stated.

'Thanks...but that's not exactly going to cheer me up...' Tadashi sighed, glancing over at Trinity and Tiana.

Xerneas leaned in towards Tadashi and looked into his eyes for a moment.

'Strange...I see. Your heart is filled with sorrow and grief has you aching. Judging by the two bodies...I assume they were also friends of yours?' Xerneas inquired.

'Well...one of them was...the other is her sister...she's not quite dead...yet...' Tadashi sighed, hesitating as he said 'yet.'

Xerneas nodded and then thought for a moment. This group of trainers had gone through the ordeal of saving the entire world and yet not without the loss of one and potentially two friends. The situation didn't seem fair in the slightest. As a Legendary, particularly the one in charge of life, apart from Arceus who could create it, Xerneas had its duties as well.

'Tell me Tadashi...who was the older girl? Was she close to you all?' Xerneas asked curiously. Knowing the answer for the most part but wanted to hear it from Tadashi.

"At first...we didn't know what to think of her. She just sorta...came to us. We found her annoying at first, but she grew on us. We fought together, played together...even laughed and cried together. Even after she betrayed us...sorry, I should clarify that. She was working for Team Flare, the syndicate that had you powering their machine. She was only doing it because she thought that Team Flare would use some of your energy to restore her sister to health.." Tadashi stated.

"Trinity didn't realize that she was being used at the time and found out rather late. She ended up getting us out of the lab we were imprisoned in...and well...risked everything for us. In a fight with Lysandre...the head of the organization...she pushed me out of the way of what would have been my death..." Tadashi sighed.

'So...she took the fall for you...' Xerneas said as it looked over at Trinity's lifeless body and Tiana's slowly fading form.

Without a word, Xerneas lowered its antlers and seven colors shone brightly on them. Tadashi's eyes widened in surprise as he looked up to see Xerneas pouring energy into both Tiana and Trinity. Everyone was startled and all but Tadashi stumbled back. A bright light encompassed the area and soon it died down and all was still.

When the light dimmed, Xerneas was nowhere to be seen. At least, not for a few moments until everyone's eyes readjusted. Xerneas looked down at Trinity and Tiana and then back to Tadashi with a nod before galloping off.

_**And this is where I will leave you all until I am able to write again. So it was Xerneas! How cruel was that? Using energy that was meant to give life to destroy? I figured it was a bit more dastardly than using the obviously destructive Yveltal. Everyone expects it because it brings death. Also, there is a reason for what I did here at the end. Trinity still has a role to fulfill later on in the next arc after this one is over. She'll be around a while longer before the gang and her part ways. What? It's Xerneas, a Legendary...it does what it wants. Anyway, I MIGHT possibly be able to release another chapter tomorrow...no guarantees though. Until next time, keep a look out! Mango out!**_


	41. Chapter 41

**Well, it looks as though I will be able to bring you one, or two more before I go on my hiatus after all! Anyway, I hope the last chapter was enjoyed. Took me a while to figure out how and when to bring Xerneas in. I was a little tempted to let Xerosic press the button...just a little. Anywho, let's get back to the story shall we? The journey must go on! Let's go! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

**Chapter 41: Life Anew**

Several days had passed since the incident in Geosenge. All of Team Flare had been found and arrested, with the exception of Celosia and the other scientists who seemed to have better luck than the others. Xerosic, however, was not as fortunate. Lysandre had been hospitalized of course. Xerosic's cohorts shed their Team Flare attire and burned them along with their ideals. They had time to reflect on it all and decided it was the best course of action to take.

Celosia sighed to herself as she looked at Bryony, Mable, and Aliana. They even took off the visors to reveal that their eyes were exactly the same color as their hair. A slight laugh echoed between the four as they walked off wearing -somewhat- normal attire for the first time in who knows how long. Without the Ultimate Weapon, Team Flare no longer had a purpose. After realizing their own idiotic ideals, Celosia, Bryony, Mable and Aliana decided to return to their own lives.

It was difficult to come to grips with the fact that all of their hard work had been destroyed. Even though they were working for a criminal organization, a scientists still has pride in their work right? Right.

"So, what now?" Bryony asked with a sigh, glancing down at the ashes that were once their Team Flare uniforms.

"Well...I guess we've got nothing left to do at this point. Heh...we're unemployed and by the looks of things it will stay that way for a while. So much for a glamorous life in a 'reborn world,' Aliana sulked.

"Now that I think of it...how did that plan even make sense? If the Ultimate Weapon were powered up to 100 percent...wouldn't it have destroyed everything? Meaning...us too? Unless it somehow missed us when we were underground, I still don't see how we would be able to survive it..." Mable said with a quirked brow.

"Well, none of that matters now. Team Flare is finished...we may as well accept it. We've been around for quite a while and to be honest, I've almost forgotten what it's like to live a normal life," Celosia said with a shrug.

"Yeah...no kidding. I don't even remember what I was doing before I joined Team Flare..." Mable said, tilting her head slightly.

"That's probably because you were scatterbrained and still are a little..." Aliana remarked.

"Prob-hey!" Mable shouted, pouting and crossing her arms at the insult.

"Relax, I meant no harm by it..." Aliana laughed.

"You know what's strange? As I was leaving...I noticed that Trinity's body was gone...and so was Tiana's when I checked the last place she was located. They must have taken her to the Pokemon Center in hopes of healing her..." Celosia sighed as she began to walk off, weaing nothing but a white sports bra and tight black shorts.

The others had nearly identical attire which was a bit embarrassing in public, they needed new clothes. Luckily...they had some cash on them. They had gone to the boutique which was located in Cyllage City, the very place in which they'd fled to and took cover for a while. It was also where the gang was currently.

Since the town had been completely destroyed and the Pokemon Center was in disrepair, they had to leave Geosenge. Celosia and the other soon came out of the center wearing different outifts, however they still kept them matching their hair color in a way. Celosia wore a black and lavender dress that stopped at the knee, forming to her figure. She wore black stockings and shoes to match. Aliana wore something more attuned to her style. She had on an orange top that revealed a small section midriff and accentuated her bust. She had on a skirt to match and light orange stockings. Her hair was even let down as she had it clipped in place. Albeit her hair wasn't very long, as it tapered off just above her ears, it still felt good to let loose.

Bryony and Mable had on similar attire, keeping in line with their preferred theme. The group looked at each other and shrugged. It wasn't particularly their style, but it would do for now until Lumiose was livable again and the boutique was back up. What? They loved that store, regardless of how stupidly expensive things were.

Celosia glanced over at the Pokemon Center to see Victor walking back inside. She blinked in confusion, thinking that the group had long since left by now. Why were they still in Cyllage City? She shook her head and turned to the others.

"If you'll excuse me...there's something I have to do. She may have been a traitor, but she was loyal to me for a long time. I think I ought to pay my respects...it's the least I can do," Celosia said as she made her way towards the center.

She entered curiously, her violet eyes glancing around as she looked for signs of the usual trio. Bryony and the others had followed her into the center as well. Whether they liked it or not, they had some apologizing to do as well. They most certainly didn't want to be thrown in the slammer and they knew they'd be recognized easily. At least this is the first time they were seen without their usual Team Flare outfits. They almost looked...normal. Save for their standout hair and makeup.

Back in the infirmary, Tadashi sat near Trinity's bed side looking down at her in confusion. The image of Xerneas flashed through his mind. He saw the horns glow seven different colors and then suddenly, Xerneas took off. It didn't make any sense to him. He glanced at Tiana's body to his right. She had started to slowly breath just a few hours ago. She had almost bit the dust and was now getting back to a more normal breathing pace. What concerned him was Trinity. Somehow...her chest was rising and falling steadily.

He couldn't place it. He swore up and down that he saw her die. He even checked for a pulse and got nothing. Nothing. What was going on? His ears twitched as he heard something behind him. A familiar presence washed over him, causing him to clench his fists. He felt the same chills when they were around before when he was in that cold dark prison.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here...especially after you should have been put away for good..." Tadashi hissed, turning his head with a glare.

"Relax Tadashi, we aren't here to cause any trouble. Does it honestly look like we are?" Celosia said with a grimace.

Tadashi blinked as he saw their outfits. Albeit they matched with their hair...the styles just seemed a bit, well...off. He was used to the way they looked in the Team Flare attire which as much as he hated to admit it, suited them better.

"What's with the getups? I liked it better when you were wearing that bright red outfit...even though it's not much better it still suited you four..." Tadashi muttered, still not exactly pleased with their arrival.

"Hey, it's not like we had any choice you know? Did you expect us to walk around town in our-never mind..." Mable said, clasping a hand over her mouth as Celosia gave her a look.

"I don't even wanna know..." Tadashi mumbled.

"Best you don't...it's embarrassing..." Aliana grumbled.

"So...where are the others?" Celosia inquired, curious about Victor and Clarice. She knew she saw at least one of them.

"They're not here...well, Clarice isn't anyway...why?" Tadashi asked impatiently.

"I guess it can't be helped...anyway...I'm just here to pay some respects...I know Trinity actually got close to you all...even if she did end up betraying you later on..." Celosia sighed.

"Why should that matter? It's because of you guys she died...or at least...that's what I thought anyway..." Tadashi muttered, looking over at Trinity who was breathing regularly if but slowly.

"Wait...what?" Celosia asked, turning to look at the steadily rising chest of Trinity who had just days before died after a hyper beam hit her.

"The look on your face is the same one I had...it's surprising I know..." Tadashi mumbled, not making direct contact with any of them. He still held a bit of resentment towards them, two of them in particular.

"I see...but...how? This goes against all logic and reason...much like you punching a solid reinforced -steel- door off its hinges. Seriously...what the heck are you?" Celosia said with a raised brow.

"Wait...how did y-oh...cameras? Figures..." Tadashi sighed, glancing over at Tiana who was now picking up her breathing a bit more.

"A lot of things can't be explained logically...you just have to go with it...as for how, let's just say that Legendary you used to power up the Ultimate Weapon...decided to give these two a second shot at life...at least that's how I understand it..." Tadashi sighed, turning back to look at Trinity and Tiana once more.

"And to think we almost used all of its energy...just to destroy everything...heh, something tells me that it wouldn't have allowed that anyway. Arceus knows what would have happened if it were allowed to occur..." Celosia shrugged.

"Well, for one thing...none of us would be here. Honestly...what made Lysandre think that destroying the world was a good idea? If he wanted to get rid of selfish people...he should have looked at himself first...and changed that before judging others..." Tadashi muttered.

"Which reminds me...what were four talented scientists like yourselves doing with a lame group like that anyway?" Tadashi wondered.

"Eh, the checks were fat..." Bryony said simply, the others nodding in agreement.

"That does explain the massive amounts of Evolutionary Rays...must have cost a fortune to build..." Tadashi chuckled, feeling slightly less apprehensive.

"Indeed...we still don't know what to do with our bank accounts. We've got more than we can actually spend. I guess we'll just go from there...however, until Lumiose is back and running, we've got to find another place to shack up," Aliana sighed.

"Well...last I checked, Lumiose said the construction would take another week. After that, a section or two of the city will have been restored. There are some people still living there, and somehow Hotel Richissime wasn't damaged...which is odd..." Tadashi frowned.

"Ah...well, I suppose that's where we'll go to then. I always loved their service there anyway. In anycase Tadashi...we just want to apologize. I know you probably don't believe us but, well...that's your decision to make," Celosia stated, reaching her hand out.

Tadashi stared at it for a moment, contemplating breaking it. He was still sore over the incident and needed to vent, but as he saw the genuine expression of remorse in her eyes, something he never saw before considering their eyes were always covered, he couldn't help but take the hand firmly and shake it.

"Just know...if you four decide to backslide to your old ways...I won't be so merciful..." Tadashi grumbled, releasing Celosia's hand and lowering his .

"We know..." Celosia laughed nerously.

"You four should probably go...if Victor sees you here, or Clarice...I shudder to think what would happen..." Tadashi warned them.

"Right...you may have been willing to speak with us, but that doesn't mean they will, we'd best be on our way then..." Celosia said as she beckoned her friends to come with her as quickly as they could.

Tadashi sighed softly as they left. Victor came in shortly after they all were gone, having just missed them as they exited.

"What's up Tadashi?" Victor asked as he came and sat down beside his friend, turning to look at Trinity's unconscious body with a sigh.

"Still not waking up huh?" Victor said as he looked back at Tadashi.

"Nope...and neither is she...it must be part of the process or something...it's been five days now," Tadashi replied.

"I'm sure they'll wake up eventually...though I'm still getting over the fact that they're alive. You said you felt Tiana's heart slow to a stop before you set her down right? I'm guessing whatever Xerneas did must have kept her heart going and kickstarted Trinity's,"Victor deduced.

"Yeah...and the strange part is, she started breathing as soon as we got her into this room. By the way...how's Clarice? Is she doing okay?" Tadashi inquired.

"You mean your lover? Oh she's doing fine, snappy with her undies in a twist as usual," Victor grinned.

"Oh shut it...you're just jelly..." Tadashi smirked.

"Maybe, you have to admit, she's hard not to stare at..." Victor snickered.

"Yeah, well try finding your own girl to stare at...she's mine..." Tadashi mumbled.

"I know bro, don't worry about it I'm just teasing," Victor chuckled, only to be knocked over the side of the head with a heavy purse.

"Ouch! Sheesh, can't a guy have a little fun..." Victor stated, rubbing his head and turning to see Clarice behind him.

"Sorry, it just occurred to me that I hadn't hit you in a while...man I needed that..." Clarice said with a satisfied smirk.

"What do you have in there, bricks?" Victor grumbled.

"Nope, but that's a good idea though..." Clarice mused.

Clarice sat down next to Tadashi and nuzzled into him. She had a towel draped over her shoulders as she had just come in from the beach. She gently kissed his cheek before linking an arm with his.

"How are they doing?" Clarice asked softly.

"Fine for now..." Tadashi said with sigh, looking over at the heart meters as they were remaining stable.

"Good to know..." Clarice smiled.

At that moment, the heard a cough from behind them, getting their attention they saw that Tiana was the source. She slowly began to open her eyes, the world coming back into view. She blinked slightly as she realized she was in a hospital bed. She had been in one for several months and had not woken up in long time.

"S-sissy?" She called out, hoping for an answer from Trinity.

Clarice's heart practically melted at this sight. Tiana was too cute for words. Her tired sounding voice was just too much for her heart to handle.

'She's so cute...' Clarice thought to herself as she watched the girl sit up to look around.

Tiana's eyes caught sight of everyone in the room and she blinked. She didn't recognize any of them. Yet they were all in the infirmary with her. Did they know her? And more importantly, how was she alive? Last she knew she had faded into an unconscious state and was thus tuned out from the rest of the world. She thought for sure she was going to die. And then she saw her. Trinity was lying in a hospital bed as well. Fear gripped her as well as panic as tears welled up in her eyes.

'Crap...she probably thinks Trinity's dead...' Tadashi thought as he saw the waterworks start to show.

"S-sissy!" Tiana cried, trying to get out of the bed she was in, stumbling a bit due to her lack of strength.

She threw herself on her sister's chest and began searching for a pulse to make sure she was okay. She was still panicking but when she heard that familiar thumping sound of the heart, she slowly relaxed, albeit still crying because she hadn't seen her sister in so long. She glanced back at Tadashi, Victor and Clarice with a bewildered expression.

"Hey, Tiana..." Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"You...you know my name?" Tiana asked, tilting her head slightly while rubbing tears from her eyes.

"Yeah...your sister told me your name. How are you feeling?" Tadashi asked softly.

"Better, I think...what happened to sissy?" Tiana asked curiously, turning to look at Trinity with a worried gaze.

"She had an accident...but she's okay now. She's just sleeping..." Victor chimed in.

"Is she going to be okay?" Tiana replied.

"She'll be fine sweetie..." Clarice smiled, dawning a rather cheerful expression.

"I want my sissy to wake up...I miss her...uh...where's my...oh..." Tiana stated, spotting a little Teddiursa plushie in her hospital bed.

She ran over to it, triping a little before reaching it. She grabbed her plushie and hugged it tightly before walking back to her sister. As she got there, her sister's eyes began to flutter open. A groan escaped Trinity's lips as she saw the world come into view before her eyes.

"So...they have hospital beds in heaven too? That seems kind of stupid..." Trinity muttered as she turned to see Tadashi and the others staring at her.

"Wait a second...either we all died or..." Her eyes widened as she glanced down at the little girl beside her bed.

"T-Tiana?!" She cried out, causing Tiana to throw herself onto her sister in a tight embrace.

"Sissy!" Tiana said happily.

"Looks like we're both up here together huh? I guess it was too late to stop everything..." Trinity sighed, glancing around at the others with an apologetic look.

"Um...Trinity...you're not dead..." Victor murmured.

"I'm sorry, what now?" Trinity blinked, looking down at her body and then at Tiana's. She glanced over at the other three and then up at one of the signs in the room that said, 'Infirmary.'

"What do you mean I'm not dead? This clearly has to be some other realm...Tiana's alive...and you were losing your battle to Lysandre...wh-"

"It's a lot to go over..." Tadashi interrupted.

"Well, explain away then. Because last I knew, I was hit full on with a hyper beam!" Trinity shouted.

"Yes...you were, and you did die. However...after that I took out Lysandre...and then we took out Xerosic and the others and well, you can pretty much guess the rest. Victor over here carried your body with us the entire time by the way...which explains why you're in this room now. But you won't believe what happened after all of that. Xerneas was revived..." Tadashi explained.

"W-w-what?" Trinity stammered, looking at Tadashi with disbelief.

"Yeah...and right after it did, Lysandre went nuts and hit the switch for the Ultimate Weapon and well...you can pretty much figure out what happened. Had Victor not teleported us out with Alakazam, we wouldn't be here right now," Tadashi sighed.

"That still doesn't explain how I'm living..." Trinity grimaced.

"Patience...I'm getting to that. Anyway, when we got out of there, Xerneas paid us a visit again. It basically gave you what appeared to be life energy...something I found out that it was able to do shortly after my conversation with it. Yes...I spoke with it..." Tadashi said, getting a rather skeptical look from Trinity.

"So that means...it must have healed Tiana too then...right?" Trinity said as she looked down at Tiana who smiled softly, holding onto her sister as if she were the last thing she possessed.

"Essentially..." Tadashi continued.

"And good thing too...It didn't see it fair that you two had to suffer for what happened. Anyway...it's good to have you back..." Tadashi smiled.

"Yeah, we missed you," Victor chuckled.

"I'm still mad at you...but, I have to say I missed you too. Who else is going to beat up Victor with me?" Clarice snickered.

"Speaking of...Victor, come here, I want to tell you something..." Trinity grinned.

"Not a chance..." Victor mumbled, causing Trinity to pout.

"So...what now?" Trinity asked curiously, still trying to get over the shock that she was actually alive. It completely freaked her out. Still, she was trying not to panic because her sister was right there, which was the other cause of her inward freakout session.

She finally had her sister back. After so long, she finally had her back. She had no idea what the cause of her sickness was, and probably wouldn't find out either. She didn't care now though, Tiana was living and that's what was important. She glanced over at Tadashi and the others, confusion gripping her as the trio seemed rather calm. They had just saved an entire planet and they seemed so nonchalant. Any normal person would be leaping around like a loon shouting it from the mountain tops. Then again...these were NOT normal people. She supposed it was partly due to her er...death? Since she was moving, and breathing, did it even count?

She muttered something unintelligable before looking over at the group.

"Well, once you're better...we plan to continue our journey. We'd like you to join us again..." Tadashi said with a soft smile.

Trinity thought about it for a moment. She remembered that she had a ton of fun with this group, even though she was out to kill them at some point. But the more she was with them, the more she came to like them. It was strange how those events worked themselves out. She never thought that she would make friends as close as these. She still felt sorrow in her heart for what she had done to them and she knew it would take time to make it all up to them. After a moment or two more, she made her decision.

"As long as we don't have to go through an ordeal like that again for a good while...I'm in..." Trinity said with a smirk.

"It's us...Trinity, we'll find trouble somehow, some way. But, hopefully not for a very long time. I don't know about you guys, but that was exhausting..." Victor mumbled.

"I feel you. Speaking of being exhausted...have Jake and the others woken up yet? It's almost noon..." Tadashi grimaced.

"I didn't see them walk out of their room at all this morning. I did hear snoring from Jakes room about twenty minutes ago before I came in here. So that means they must still be asleep...I take it they're going to come with us too?" Clarice asked curiously.

"I think Jake mentioned that he wanted to go along with Madeline and Blake. They want to train and get stronger. After all, the League is not too far away once we get our final two badges," Tadashi said with a soft smile.

"Yep...and you know what that means, we'll be competing against each other and boy won't that be fun!" Clarice grinned.

"You'd better be ready Tadashi, because if we fight, I will not hold back..." Clarice smirked.

"Nor will I..." Tadashi chuckled.

Clarice gave a contented sigh and slid into Tadashi's lap, nuzzling his neck before kissing his cheek once more.

"That...is most certainly going to take some getting used to..." Trinity sighed.

"Yep...though I did see this coming..." Victor smirked.

"Oh be quiet..." Trinity stated, pulling Victor into an unexpected hug. She gently kissed his right cheek, causing Victor's eyes to go wide.

"Erm...what was that for?" Victor inquired, blushing profusely at that sudden show of affection.

"For carrying me...you guys really do care a lot about me, even though I caused you trouble...I had to think of a way to thank you and that seemed like the best way. Besides...I know you were still checking me out...even when we were fighting..." Trinity smirked.

"No comment..." Victor grumbled.

Trinity simply rolled her eyes and ruffled Victor's hair before letting him go. Tadashi and Clarice exchanged devious grins and then laughed.

"So...how long do you think before I am able to get out of here? Honestly Tadsahi, I'm surprised you're not in a bed too. It's usually you after all..." Trinity snickered.

"True, but somehow I came out without any injury. Part of it I owe to you, the other to Victor and Alakazam. It was too close for comfort..." Tadashi laughed.

"Well...in any case...thank you, all of you...I honestly don't deserve this. And I'm going to do my best to make it up to each of you..." Trinity sighed.

"Battle me and we'll call it even...but I want ours to be in the League..." Tadashi smirked.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Trinity grinned.

"Okay, that's two of you...Clarice?" Trinity inquired.

"Just don't do anything that stupid again...I already have enough to worry about with how reckless Tadashi is. In the meantime, I'll think of something you can do to gain my trust back completely. You have some of it for now...don't abuse it..." Clarice warned.

"Right...I'll make note of that..." Trinity sighed.

"Oh...Tadashi? I just realized something...why do you have seven pokeballs on your waist?" Clarice wondered.

"Eh? Oh! That's right...I almost forgot about that. Sycamore had this on him when I found him in the lab. I spoke with him the other day and he told me that he wanted me to give it to you. He said he knew that you would love it," Tadashi said with a smirk, handing Clarice the pokeball.

She took it and hit the mechanism on it to open it up. As the light spilled from it, she saw something that made her eyes water with happiness. Her face lit up with excitement as she saw that it was a Floette. She'd always wanted one but could never find the little buggers. The Floette looked up at Clarice and tilted her head slightly.

"I-I don't know what to say..." Clarice sniffed, a bright smile spreading over her features.

"Just tell the Professor thanks and that shoul-" His words were muffled by Clarice pulling him into a kiss. She released him and then picked up the Floette.

"Hey little one...my name's Clarice. Wanna be my friend?" Clarice said softly.

Floette thought for a minute and then it occurred to her that this was the trainer she was going to be gifted to. She seemed really nice and was very beautiful, just like the flowers of the many gardens she had attended. Her eyes nearly sparkled and she floated up to Clarice and nuzzled her face. Clarice couldn't have been any happier in that moment.

She contemplated which Pokemon to send to her PC and decided on Beedrill since she already had a dual poison type. Her Roserade was good enough that was for certain. With Floette in the party, she was a happy camper now. The group was finally back together, and it seemed as though the chaos had finally ended. Tadashi kept the visit of Celosia and the others under wraps for a while. He'd wait to tell them about it later. Now? They would focus on the rest of their journey. They still had a long way to go and something told them that it wasn't going to be easy.

_**And that concludes this chapter! And I am officially going on Hiatus for a while again. After all, I do need to give people time to catch up on reading after pumping out about 16 more chapters. I know some of you are a little behind and so I'll give you guys time to catch up before I bombard you all again, muahahaha! Ahem...Anyway, so, Trinity's back! And now her sister is going to be tagging along too! The gang still has two more badges to obtain. This is going to be fun! What will happen next? Only time will tell now that Team Flare is gone. And...what are Celosia and her cohorts going to do now? Well, they need something to cure their boredom. Anyway, see you all next time on The Flames of Revolution! **_


	42. Chapter 42

**Good evening everyone! 'Wow Mango, you haven't written much on this story, how come?' I'm getting to that. For those of you who do or don't know, I have a new fanfic that I am working on called Icy Wrath. See what I did there? -Slaps self- Anyway. Here's the thing, I'm looking for at least two more OC's for the new story. One of you has already submitted a fantastic OC who I used straight away several chapters into the story. I am looking for two more possibly three. The region is Unova so if you all want to dive into that fic you are welcome to do so. Here's what I will need for the OC. I don't normally do this, but I am asking for someone to create a possible female love interest that you think would suit my new main character. The other OC's can be new friends/travelling partners or possible rivals. The story is eight chapters in so feel free to swing by and give it a read and tell me your thoughts in the review and PM me your characters. -Exhales- Now, with that said, let's get rolling!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon! All of its characters and content are owned by Gamefreak and Nintendo. **

** Chapter 42: Xerneas's Gift**

It was early. Too early in fact. The what-the-heck-am-I-doing-up? kind of early. Tadashi couldn't sleep. Yesterday was so confusing for him and it was a lot to process. Trinity was now alive, which he was glad about. Victor seemed really happy as well, which was strange. Clarice was the same as ever...only now she was in the habit of cuddling with him from time to time. Yes, they were a thing now. The Tadrice ship has sailed. One might suppose the Trictor ship might be close to leaving harbor...but that sounds like a joke doesn't it?

Tadashi rubbed his eyes as he got out of bed. He couldn't shake the strange feeling he'd gotten in the middle of the night.

_'Something wrong?'_

_ 'Err...yeah...I feel a little out of it Lucario...'_

_ 'Probably because you're up early. Oh...and you convinced a Legendary to restore a friend's life in front of you...that would give you quite a lot to wrap your mind around...'_

_ 'You're probably right..but that still doesn't change the fact that I can't get back to sleep...'_ Tadashi muttered.

_'Perhaps I can help you with that?'_ Tadashi's eyes went wide as he recognized the voice in his mind.

_'Sorry...I didn't mean to startle you, I've been watching you and your friends ever since that day. I got a little curious as to how the four of you are around each other...well, five now...' _Xerneas laughed.

_'I must either be really tired or delusional...I don't see you anywhere near the Pokemon Center Xerneas...'_

_ 'That's because I'm not...I'm actually by the stones where you and your friends saw me again...I'd like it if you came out to meet me, there is something I want to ask of you...' _

Tadashi wasted no time getting up. Lucario, since he was awake and heard it all, decided to go with him. Tadashi slipped on a shirt and threw on his shoes, looking like he got dressed in the dark. He darted out of the Pokemon Center at 3:00 in the morning. Seriously...who wakes up at that time?

It didn't take him too long to reach where Xerneas was, because a close to 9 foot tall stag wasn't at all obvious. Tadashi skidded to a stop, alongside Lucario who kept up with him the whole way. Catching his breath, he stood erect and looked up at the life giving Pokemon.

_'That didn't take long at all...I'm impressed Tadashi...'_

_ 'I'm surprised I even ran...I'm way too tired to be up this early...what's this all about?' _Tadashi asked, looking up at the Legendary as it stared back at him.

_'As you know...for many a century I have lived...but I have never had a companion, someone to call, 'friend.' Most of the time, as my life energy was at its limits, I released it all and hibernated for several centuries before returning to new life again...'_

_ 'I see...so are you asking to join me?' _Tadashi wondered, almost hoping for an affirmative.

_ 'While I would love to travel with you Tadashi...I'm afraid I cannot do that. Doing so would upset the balance of this world and thus restoring it would take some doing. Also...Legendaries are not easily controlled, as you witnessed back in the lab...I was not exactly easily contained once I was freed...'_

Tadashi nodded, confirming that it made sense to him. It would be rather unfair of him to contain the very one who gave out life. He would be doing the world a grave injustice and that wouldn't be right. He glanced back at Lucario who nodded his way, remaining silent as the two spoke.

_'So, if you didn't want to join me...what did you call me out here for?'_

_ 'I couldn't help but take a look through your mind a bit and see that you, along with your friends, got hurt quite a bit. You especially have been hurt a lot. You really should be more careful and heed what Clarice has to say...'_

_ 'How did you-'_

_ 'I'm a Legendary for a reason Tadashi...' _

_ 'Gotcha...carry on then...' _

_ 'Thank you...anyway...there is something I want to impart to Clarice, but you were up so it was convenient. She seems to hold a strong love for you that goes beyond what most would think possible. I could feel it from her the first time I was near you all. Tadashi...I have something for her that you should give to her as soon as she wakes up. Touch my antlers...'_

Tadashi did as requested, reaching his hand up as Xerneas's antlers glowed seven different colors. Power surged through his body unlike anything he'd ever felt before. If he wasn't aura adept it might have been too much for him to handle.

_'Okay...I'll bite...what did you do to me?'_

_ 'I have temporarily imparted the gift to you...but the moment you make mucosal contact with her...it will be transferred from your body to hers...'_

_ 'Okay...you still haven't answered me...what did you do?'_

_ 'When it's transferred, she will be able to heal others through song. The power will be able to calm emotions among other things as well...I can tell she has a gentle spirit and cares deep down, even if she doesn't outwardly show it...'_

_ 'So...she'll be like the group healer?'_

_ 'Pretty much, yes...now, back to your earlier statement. Should you have need of me...all you need do is feel out my presence...I sense your aura has given you the ability to do so by now...'_

_ 'Well, I'll definitely call on you in the future...I suppose I should be heading back to bed now...'_

The giant stag nodded, turning around to head off in a blur of speed. Tadashi blinked as he looked down at himself. His fractured arm, which was only slightly in pain a while ago, was now perfectly fine.

_'Show off...'_

_ 'And you're not, Tadashi?'_

_ 'I'm tired...don't start with me this early Lucario...'_

_ 'Right...you've got to go kiss your woman...'_

Tadashi groaned and bolted off, leaving Lucario in the dust, but he quickly caught up.

**X-X-X**

Tadashi managed to get about four more hours of sleep, which he desperately needed. He could still feel the energy coursing through his veins. The power he felt was amazing, he almost didn't want to give it away. The ability to heal, stack that with his aura and he'd be one tough contender. If he was selfish, he'd do that, but he wasn't. He sighed as he got out of bed, hopping in the shower after walking into the bathroom.

He needed to drown his worries, and a nice hot shower was just the way to do so. A sigh escaped his lips as he recalled the conversation with Xerneas. So, he was going to be the catalyst that imparted healing energy to Clarice? It was almost like an aura transfer...save for the fact that he was transferring LEGENDARY energy to her. Then again...after all they went through together, she deserved it. Yeah, she was a pain in the rear, but she was _his _pain in the rear.

After a short period of time, Tadashi finished up his shower and was getting dressed. It was 9:00 in the morning and he had a feeling everyone would be up by now. But first...he needed to get Clarice alone, that wouldn't be too hard as she usually would be knocking on his door at this time anyway. And almost as if on queue, three knocks were heard at his door. He practically had this routine of hers down to a science by now.

"Tadashi...are you awake?"

"Yeah, come in."

Surprised by this, Clarice opened the door and walked in. Never had he just asked her to come in like this. She usually had to ask him first. Puzzled, she shut the door and moved over towards the bed. All of his Pokemon were out and waking up. Lucario was the first of them, followed by Gogoat, then Braixen, followed by Gardevoir and Charizard. Tyrantrum wasn't out...for obvious reasons.

Tadashi quickly returned them all, Lucario included so they wouldn't disturb their discussion. A sigh escaped Tadashi's lips as he sat down on the bed beside Clarice.

"Everything okay?" Clarice inquired, sliding into his lap and nestling into his neck, holding her actual Floette in her arms now. The little fairy rested happily in her embrace.

"Yeah...I guess..."

"Out with it Tadashi..."

"Are you sure you wanna know?"

"Yes...now out with it before I make you tell me..."

Tadashi sighed and turned towards her. This wasn't exactly going to be easy to explain. This would take some doing.

"Well...first off, I spoke with Xerneas again. It got me out of Cyllage City at 3:00 in the morning...something I'd rather not do again..."

"Oh? What did it want? It must have been important...if it wanted your sleepy butt out there that early..." Clarice giggled.

"It kinda was...actually, it wanted to get you up, but since I was already up it figured I was the next best thing..."

"What would it want with me?" Clarice replied, tilting her head curiously as she listened to Tadashi.

"I'm getting to that...so yeah, I hightailed it out there, Lucario followed me as usual. Anyway, when I got there I thought it wanted to come with me, but that wasn't the case. It actually had something it wanted me to give to you...something I want you to think about very carefully before I give it to you..."

Tadashi looked serious to Clarice. What was it that Xerneas wanted to give her that it would use Tadashi as a link to do so? All sorts of thoughts ran through her mind, some good, some...well...not so good. She blushed at a few thoughts and shook them away, knowing Tadashi would never do anything like that. She glanced back at him, the question in her eyes.

"What was it? I want to know..." Clarice inquired.

"This is going to sound strange...but I promise I'm not pulling your leg. Xerneas gave me some of its energy to transfer to you. It told me that when I gave it to you, you would be able to heal through song...and probably other ways once you developed it. Xerneas noticed how you seemed to care a lot about us, myself more-so than the others. It noticed how you hated seeing others get hurt...and how you well...loved me. So...it transferred the energy that's inside me now so I could give it to you..."

Clarice looked flabbergasted. She didn't know what to think about what Tadashi had just said. Was he really asked to give healing abilities, from a _Legendary, _to her? None of it made sense. She hadn't done anything that special had she? Wait...did Xerneas know about all her outbursts? All the times she scolded and got after Tadashi, mostly because she loved him and also because she wanted to throttle him for being so stupid? If that was the case, then Legendaries were far more powerful than she gave them credit for.

She was beside herself at this point. Should she accept the gift? Even if she did, how would she know it worked? Was there a way to test it? Her head began to hurt as she tried to wrap her mind around it. One thing she did know though, she did love Tadashi, and she _hated _seeing him get hurt. She hated seeing others get hurt as well. At that point, she knew exactly what needed to be done.

"How can I get it from you?"

"Well...this part you might like. It's basically through mucosal contact, aka...just kiss me and it should do the trick..." Tadashi smiled.

"You're right...I do like that method..." Clarice smirked.

Clarice cupped Tadashi's cheeks gently and began to lean in. As she was doing this, she could feel the energy already start to pour into her before their lips even met. Just the mere presence of the intended recepient was enough to begin to draw it out. She finally closed the distance between their lips, draping her arms around Tadashi's neck as she embraced him in what could be described as the deepest kiss she'd ever given. Her cheeks flushed and her body was soon flooded with warmth as the power flooded into her systems. Tadashi melted into the kiss, feeling the power leaving his body for hers. His aura flared up and danced around her healing aura in a beautiful display.

Clarice slowly opened her eyes, the usual chocolate hues now glowing seven different colors before fading to the normal brown pools that Tadashi got lost in so often.

"This...feels...amazing..." She said, nearly breathless after the kiss, and the power surge.

"I'm all tingly now...and I've got goosebumps. That was just...I can't even..."

"Now you know how I feel whenever I use my aura...it's a rush like no other...though I don't think anything I do from here on out will compare to what just happened now..." Tadashi blushed.

"No...no I don't think anything will top that..." Clarice smiled, resting her head against his chest a little longer.

Her body needed time to adjust to the massive power that was dumped on her. She felt so unworthy of it, mainly because of how nasty she started off being to Tadashi. To everyone. So why her? Why was she treated so special so suddenly? She felt so undeserving of it all. But right now, none of that mattered. All that mattered now was that she was resting, right in the arms of the boy who saved her from herself.

"Well...we should probably get going. We wouldn't want to keep those two waiting...I wouldn't be surprised if they were right outside the door..." Clarice mumbled.

"They're not...I'd be able to feel them if they were..." Tadashi chuckled.

"Right...I almost forgot you could do that. Well...shall we? I don't know about you but I'm starving! And I'm eager to get on the road again now that the Team Flare fiasco is over..." Clarice giggled.

"Yes...let's get to it. I'm sure Victor and Trinity, along with Tiana are eager to head out as well. We've been dawdling for a while. I kinda want to get my seventh badge now. The faster we get that done, the quicker we can move to the eight. After that, we'll have a few months to train before the Kalos League."

"Right, but right now, let's just enjoy the rest of our journey...okay? I definitely want to. And Floette here does as well. Isn't that right Floette?" Clarice giggled happily.

This was so strange for Tadashi. Seeing Clarice giggling and practically all smiles. He was used to the embodiment of anger that she used to be. However, this was a _very_ welcomed change, and he hoped she'd stay that way. Sure, she still snapped every now and again...but that was just how she was. And he liked it that way.

**X-X-X**

"So...what do you think is keeping those two?" Trinity asked, propping her feet up on the table as she waited for the pancakes to be brought over on the cart.

"I don't know...they're probably making out or something like that..." Victor chuckled.

"Victor...I know you like to joke around, but...please...my sister is here, let her get used being well before you cloud her mind with your usual remarks..." Trinity grunted.

"Right...sorry Tiana..."

"It's okay...I'm not offended..." Tiana smiled back.

Trinity still couldn't comprehend it. Tiana was alive. _She _was alive. She who had betrayed, beat up, and thrown her three friends into jail, was now alive and kicking as though she never died. It was still way too much to process. If there was one thing she did know though...and it confirmed her living status...she was incredibly hungry. The kind of hungry one gets after being dead and brought back. Sure...she'd been tube fed, but she wanted some _solid _food.

Trinity's ears twitched as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Clarice was holding onto Tadashi's arm as usual now. This was now an accepted, though still hard to get used to, norm. Tadashi and Clarice sat down by one another and as they di, the pancakes arrived.

"It's about time, you two. What took you so long?" Trinity inquired.

"Sorry...I just...had something to take care of...that's all."

"Right...you were taking care of something alright..." Victor smirked.

"Victor...I will hurt you..." Clarice grimaced.

Victor backed down as Clarice's tone changed. She may appear sweeter now, but she was still the same fiery girl who sack-checked him every so often to keep him in line. Fearing this, he closed his legs as he grabbed for some pancakes.

Tadashi grabbed some as well and soon the five of them were all enjoying a well prepared breakfast. Laughter broke out at the table as they all spoke of some of the moments they'd had along the journey to this point. Tadashi couldn't help but smile at the group. He wondered if Clarice would reveal to them her new gift. She would have to eventually. Knowing how he was...and the other two, they'd get injured at least once along the way. It was almost counted on.

The five of them finished up their breakfast and left the Pokemon Center in Cyllage City.

"Arceus this feels amazing!" Trinity laughed, soaking in the sun as it shown upon her.

"Having fun?" Victor smirked.

"I can smell colors...I can see sound...I can...oh you get what I'm saying! I'm alive!" Trinity laughed, giggling like she did when they first met her.

"I don't think I understood any of that..." Tadashi muttered.

"I don't think any of us did...but I will say one thing, it's good to have her back," Clarice laughed.

"I'll say..." Victor grinned.

"We all know why you're glad to have her back Victor..." Tadashi smirked.

"You. Know. Nothing." Victor replied.

"Whatever..." Clarice snickered.

Victor rolled his eyes and walked ahead of the group, catching up to Trinity and her sister Tiana. Clarice and Tadashi exchanged glances, laughing slightly before catching up to the three. They were finally back on the road again. The adventure continued on for the original four, with Tiana now joining the fun. With two more badges to go, things were bound to get harder for them as the last two gyms were usually the toughest.

**And that wraps it up for this little update! I wanted to do a little something special for you all since I haven't updated this story in while. I wanted to show Clarice some love since the other three seemed to have the spotlight. Tadashi mainly, for obvious reasons. He's the main, but I'm gonna try not to let him overshadow the others, they're all important. Now, as I said above, there's a new fic out. Give it a read if you like. And if you want, PM me and submit an OC and I will read them and decide. As stated, the love interest slot is open, and so are one or two more slots. Anyway, be sure to check out my new fic Icy Wrath and keep tabs on more here with The Flames of Revolution! **


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